


31 days of Wayhaven

by AbsolutelyLiviD



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: AU, Angst, Bullying and abuse in chapter 26, Death in chapter 23, Depression in chapter 6, F/M, Fluff, Losing control of oneself in chapter 24 and 30, Love Triangles, Major Character Death in Chapter 18, Mention of torture in chapter 27, Prompts for 31 days of Wayhaven, Referenced suicide in chapter 16, Slight gore in chapter 2, Strangulation in chapter 30, The prompts will be of varying length, Vague reference to torture in chapter 15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 27,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26746456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsolutelyLiviD/pseuds/AbsolutelyLiviD
Summary: A collection of the ficlets I write for 31 days of Wayhaven
Relationships: Detective/Adam du Mortain, Detective/Felix Hauville, Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles), Detective/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell, Felix Hauville & Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles), Female Detective & Falk (The Wayhaven Chronicles), Female Detective/Adam du Mortain, Female Detective/Felix Hauville, Female Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles), Female Detective/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	1. Sharp (Elodie x Adam)

Sometimes the little things stung the most. One step away, one held-back word, one broken touch. One more nail in her coffin. Rejection was a sharp, nasty thing, burrowing its way into her heart and making her think she deserved it. If only she had taken that step forward, said the words that he wouldn't, held him without letting go. It was easy to tell herself that if she had just not been so emotionally closed off and taken the first step, everything would be right.

The bad thing about having a stoic exterior was that when she actually broke down no one knew. She could have pointed to Adam on that one, but even he showed more than her sometimes.

Did he see her feelings? Or was he convinced that her feigned nonchalance was real? Maybe that was why he always stopped himself, stepped back, walked away.

Oh, it was all too easy to tell herself that it was all her fault. That if she'd just been better at this feelings thing, they wouldn't be in this weird in-between zone.

"...goes with Elodie. Everybody clear?" Shit. What had she missed while she was zoned out? The team seemed to converge into pairs, Nate and Mason on one side of the room, Adam and Felix on the other. She was just about to ask Rebecca about it when Felix waved her over.

Her initial happiness at working with Felix (at least she guessed that's what was happening) was quickly squashed when she realised she'd also be working with _Adam._

Was the universe _determined_ to give her as much pain as possible? Then Adam saw her walking over and the soft smile he gave her, if only for a split second, made her frown disappear. Ugh, she was such a push-over, it was infuriating.

Felix was kind enough to explain what they were doing, at least. "So we're gonna infiltrate this facility that the Agency suspects harbors rogues, but Agent Carter says you can't be involved in the eventual fighting. Meaning one or two of us will stay with you." He grinned. "Adam wants it to be him, of course--"

The man in question tensed, not meeting either of their eyes. "I can see advantages with both options."

"Uh huh."

"However, I think we can all agree that I am more useful in the fight, Felix. Therefore, you should stay with Detective Carter. I'm sure you'd prefer to stay with your friend, Detective?"

She could have said so much. She _should_ have said so much. _Do you still not realise how much you mean to me_ or _I won't feel truly safe without you_ or _do you just not want to be alone with me?_

"Yeah."

"Good."

Another silent rejection. But she was used to it.


	2. Monster (Lissia x Mason)

It all went in slow motion. A knife to her throat making her mind foggy with fear, then it was ripped away. If she hadn't turned around, she might have saved herself from witnessing the horrific sight.

It was a boy, but looking at him now she couldn't see it anymore. His body was a bloody mess, and even when she shut her eyes the horrible image was burned into her mind.

She screamed before promptly blacking out.

\---

"--sia! Lissia!" She absentmindedly noticed the walls of the warehouse before zeroing in on who was calling her name. Mason.

The moment she looked at him, she regretted it. The blood was everywhere; on his face, on his clothes, on his _hands._ Then those hands were reaching for her, begging to hurt her...

She screamed again, crawling backwards in a desperate, futile attempt to get away, but only succeeding in hitting her head on the wall. How hurt was she that the impact was enough to render her unconscious again?

\---

When she woke up for hopefully the last time that day, the room was quiet. Empty. It took several moments before anyone noticed her waking, apparently. Weird. Weren't their hypersenses supposed to pick up on that even before herself?

When the door finally opened, it wasn't one of the vampires, but her mom. The relief that overcame her made her frown. She wasn't particularly close to Rebecca. Had her repressed fear of supernaturals finally caught up to her?

"How are you feeling?" She hovered on the edge of Lissia's vision, almost as if she was afraid to come closer. But afraid of what?

She got her answer soon enough. "Am---am I okay?"

She looked at her mom, utterly befuddled. "Uh, what? What do you mean?"

Rebecca scuffed her feet, avoiding the question for longer than usual. "Come on, just say it."

"Are you scared of me?"

The words were blurted out, and even her mom looked shocked at them. "What?" She wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. _Scared_ of her? Why would she...?

Rebecca continued, "You... screamed when you saw Mason before. Are you afraid of us---or just him?" Her face held a pained expression, fearful of her daughter's answer.

She didn't quite know the answer herself. Was she afraid of Mason? No, that couldn't be true. "I'm not afraid of either of you. It was just...the blood..." She shuddered, and her mom seemed to understand.

"Of course. I'm glad." She smiled hesitantly, then left, shutting the door carefully behind her.

Lissia heard muffled voices from beyond, but nothing concrete. After a while, the door creaked open slowly.

Mason stood in the doorway, blood now washed off. He almost resembled Adam with the unusually rigid posture. "Lissia?" One step closer. "Are you okay?"

She clenched her teeth to keep herself from flinching. This was _Mason._ It killed her, seeing him and only seeing the blood that had been on his hands. The broken, bloody boy whose life was cut short.

With a breath that felt drawn through shattered glass, she averted her gaze. "No." What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just get over it? After hearing these words all the time in the police academy, she built a iron mask. But now it happened again, she slipped through the cracks. She was _weak._

He seemed to understand much more than she wanted him to. Not daring to look up again, she didn't see the look of pain flashing over his features. "I can't help you, can I?" The bitterness wasn't something she would've expected from him, but she didn't have the energy to unpack it.

"I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say. He only hesitated for a moment before walking out.

It was only then that she let herself cry.

\---

Adam, Nate and Agent Eleni had already left, but Felix was left in the living room waiting for Mason. Her mother had said that Liz wasn't afraid, but the expression on his friend's face coming down the stairs told a different story.

His smile instantly dropped into a frown. "What did she say?"

Mason raked a hand through his hair and leaned against the table next to Felix. "She's not okay." He let out a frustrated growl. "Felix, she can't even _look_ at me." Then, lower, "I messed up for real this time, man."

Felix tried to keep his tone light, but seriousness bled into it anyway. "Can't you just move on to another sex object? That's how you used to do." He gave a half-hearted shrug, hoping Mason would understand what he was getting at.

"No!" Felix's grin returned at the insistence in the reply. "It's not about that."

"So you don't want to?"

The anguish that emanated from Mason almost knocked Felix off his feet. "Does it even matter? She's done with me. I felt it." He lifted his head weakly to meet the younger vampire's eyes. "Am I a monster, Felix?"

"No!"

But Mason continued, "I didn't think twice before killing that man. All I knew was that he was _hurting_ her and then he was dead. She hates me."

"No, she doesn't. She's scared, but she'll forgive you."

Mason's words were hollow. "What if she doesn't?"


	3. Mirror (Illuna x Adam)

It was an ordinary day, until Falk decided to visit her. Not that she had anything against him---he was a chill guy, but since he didn't usually come over her mind always went to the worst scenarios.

Had the Trappers found them again? Were the maa-alused in danger? Worry struck her like lightning when he walked out of the mirror. "Has something happened?" she blurted out a moment after spotting his face.

He gave a light smirk, but then donned a surprisingly serious tone. "Sanja's been kidnapped again."

"What?" Her voice came out in a shriek, but then his lips curled upward and her worried expression was replaced by a glare. "That's not something you should joke about! Did you think it was _funny?_ Adam ended up badly hurt after all that!"

He looked taken aback by her outburst. "Sorry, it was just a joke..."

"Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was?"

"Sanja is important to me too." His voice was sharp, and she averted her gaze, slightly embarrassed. "Anyway, that's actually what I came to talk about with you."

"Sanja? Are you dating or something?"

He scoffed at that. "My kind does not "date", human. But no, that's not what I meant. You were talking about Adam?"

She smiled. "Yeah, he's my best friend. What do you want to say?"

Falk chuckled. "Yeah, your "friend". Sanja has seen some... visions about the two of you lately."

She sat down in her couch, curiosity making her lean forward. "What kind of visions? Good, bad? Like are we staying together forever or am I gonna get strung up a tree or something?"

He frowned. "Unfortunately, these visions are for your vampire's eyes only, unless he chooses to share them with you."

"Yeah, right. This is _Adam_ we're talking about. Can't you just tell me?" Then her mind caught up with everything he'd said. "Wait, _my_ vampire? What do you mean?"

His smirk stretched even further. "You really don't realise, do you? Don't worry, you will... in time."

"What? Wait!" But he was gone, and her mirror yet again acted like a normal one.

Was he in a hurry or something, or did he just love being dramatic? She'd guess the latter.

But what did he mean? Adam wasn't hers any more than he was Nate's, or Felix's, or Mason's.

Nevermind the fact that she _wanted_ him to be; that was quickly stashed away in a far corner of her brain.


	4. Strong (Zinnia x Nate)

"Yes. Okay." Adam looked his age for once when he hung up the phone and turned to the rest of the team, sitting in the living room. His shoulders were hunched, eyes weary and crossed arms not as steady as they used to be.

Something was very wrong. She was just about to ask about it when he addressed her. "Zinnia... I think you should go to sleep. You don't want to hear this."

Her sympathy for him was quickly tempered by anger. "I am just as much a part of this team as you all. Why do you want to exclude me?"

Nate reached out from beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know, Adam. Should we not be honest with her? You know how well keeping secrets worked last time."

The Commanding Agent dragged a hand through his hair, but it shook in a way he most definitely didn't want to show. "It's for her safety, Nate. You know it's better for her if she doesn't know."

Nate didn't look convinced. "Is it?"

"Yes. Zinnia, please leave us. You should probably get some sleep anyway."

Fine. She could sense that he wouldn't budge on this at the moment, but as soon as she left the room she swung around and pressed her ear against the door.

"I can hear your heartbeat, Zinnia."

Ugh! Why did he have to be so stubborn? With a exaggerated huff to make sure they heard it, she trudged off to her room. She'd just get Nate to include her later, she told herself.

She did want some sleep, but it was plagued by nightmares about what could have happened that was so horrible to make the old vampire look like that.

\---

A hand on her shoulder woke her, and she almost punched the owner before seeing Nate's face. Embarrassed, she unclenched her fists. "Oh shit, I almost hit you. Sorry, what are you doing here?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine, I know I must have surprised you. As to why... I was simply wondering how you were after everything."

If he wanted to keep her resentment away, these words were the wrong ones. "I mean, no one is telling me what happened so what do you think? I'm sure you know what has Adam so worked up, so why don't _you_ tell me how I should feel right now? Oh, except angry that a literally historical man is keeping important information _about_ me from me."

Nate opened his mouth to interject, but she interrupted him. "Don't even try to convince me it's not about me. Why else would you want to hide it?"

He fidgeted uncertainily, not quite meeting her eyes. "It's not about _you."_

And just like that, the pieces fell together. "No... it's someone close to me, isn't it?" He still refused to face her. "Answer me! Who is it? Tina? Douglas? Verda? _Rebecca?"_ Nate's flinch told her everything she needed to know and her blood ran ice cold. "How?"

He shut his eyes and kept silent for a moment. Was he regretting coming to her? Her anger spilled out without thinking much. "How can you keep something like this from me?" She clinged to the anger, not daring to look underneath it for fear of the utter _helplessness_ she felt, but her voice still came out in something too much like a whimper and she hated it.

Just typical, that they'd come for her mother. "Trappers or rogues?" And why did she care so much? She excluded Rebecca from her life years ago. Wasn't that supposed to make it better?

Nate laid a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "Just tell me!"

He was slightly turned away from her, so his face was clouded in shadows, but she could have sworn tears glistened at the corners of his eyes. "Rogues."

"Do they usually take hostages?"

"No--" his voice broke. "Never."

"Oh," was all that she managed to say. Her eyes were getting blurry but she couldn't, she _refused_ to cry. Especially in front of Nate. Turning towards the wall, she choked out, "Can you leave me alone for a moment?"

He didn't. Instead, he took a step closer. "Are you alright?" She didn't answer, afraid of her words turning into the tears that were threatening to spill. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't cry. She _wouldn't--_

Oh, shit, she was crying. The arms she wrapped around herself felt cold and tiny against the flood that was bursting out. Her hands were shaking, her vision so blurry she couldn't make out the pictures on the wall any longer, and her legs were wobbly.

"Come on." Nate took her small frame in his arms and led her to sit down on the bed.

In between hiccups and ugly sobs, she managed to get out, "It's not fair. It's not fair." It became her muttered mantra, feebly attempting to anchor her to the utterly wretched world.

"No, it's not. I am so sorry, Zinnia." In another moment, his warm hands and thigh touching her might have caused her to heat up uncontrollably, but now, all that she could feel was anguish and rage.

"Adam and the others are looking for her right now. Please, don't lose hope yet."

She wanted to scream that _what hope was there ever to begin with,_ but still a small ember lit in her chest.

She would be strong, right beside them in their search and if she had to turn every stone in the world she would. Because--

Giving up would mean accepting what had happened. She wouldn't. She couldn't.


	5. Moon (Lissia x Mason)

It was a miracle, she thought to herself on mossy ground surrounded by trees. When she'd suggested that the team would go camping, she was sure that her and Felix's idea would be shot down pretty much immediately. Yet, there she was now, admiring the stars in the dark night sky. The moon hung low in its crescent form, watching over the world.

Sure, Adam had grumbled about the security risks, but Nate said it would be a fun thing to do. Mason was happy to do anything that was away from humans, so in the end the oldest vampire told them a begrudging yes.

The others were all back at camp, but she couldn't miss her chance to see the stars without the city fog clogging the view. So there she was, all alone but no less happy for that.

Until she wasn't. "Hey." The sound of footsteps and that familiarly gruff voice (but it was softer now, or did she just imagine that?) made her smile and turn around to meet Mason's gaze.

"What are you doing here?" Last she'd seen him, he was stalking away from camp in the hopes of finding the silence he loved so much. Not that it was hard, in the wide-spread forest where they were most probably alone for miles. She'd deliberately gone to stargaze in the opposite direction, not wanting to bother him with her presence.

But now he was standing there, and the slight smile he gave her told her that, how utterly lunatic it sounded, he was somehow _happy_ to be near her. Was it just to hit on her? She hoped not.

"Maybe I just wanted to check up on you, sweetheart. Stars looking good tonight? Of course, not as good as me."

It wasn't a pick-up line, not really (another miracle), and so she allowed herself to laugh. "You might be overestimating yourself, _sunshine."_ Unlike his, her nickname for him had always been honest. He _was_ her sunshine, plain and simple.

The thought of telling him that, though, made her chuckle even after the laughter had ebbed out. Instead, she said, "Do you want to sit down with me?"

To her surprise, he didn't object, slowly lowering himself to the ground in a crouch. She rolled her eyes. "Is that really comfortable for you? Come on, sit down for real this once."

He didn't move, so she decided against ensuring her continued life and gave his chest a hard shove, making him topple backwards in an almost comical motion. Was he not a vampire, he might have lost his balance completely.

She only had a couple seconds to celebrate, though, before Mason pinned her to the ground with a growl. "What are you _doing?"_ Normally, his tone would be threatening, but this time it seemed strangely playful, eliciting another laugh from her. "Do you think this is funny?"

She pulled her legs up to her chest, trying and failing to escape his grip. "Oh no, of course not, whyever would you think that?" The words were accentuated by giggles, and she expected him to sigh.

He didn't. He tried to keep up his mask, but a chuckle escaped. Then another. She realised, with a gasp, that it was probably the first time she'd heard him really laugh.

His chest brushed against her thigh and her laughter faded away as she suddenly noticed how _close_ they were. _Any moment now... he will smirk. And the moment will be gone._

The sheer weight of that truth almost made her miss the way his face lit up with (not a smirk!) but a _smile,_ gazing down at her small frame under him. _How?_ The miracles were piling up, making her wonder when she would face the inevitable consequences.

The moment was heavy, too much for her to handle right now. So she gently pushed him away, doing her best to fake a whine though her heart was still screaming that she wanted him to stay right there he was. It wasn't the right time. "You're blocking out the stars."

Instead of standing up again, though, he laid down so that his side was touching hers ever so slightly. "Better?"

"Definitely. What do you think of them?"

He answered without hesitation, "Beautiful."

But when she turned her head, he was looking at her.


	6. Broken (Rhiessa x Felix)

As if she didn't have enough trauma already, she was now going to be afraid of cats. Sometimes, she swore that nothing could ever go even remotely right in her life.

Of course, that was before she met Felix. And even then, there was the nagging fear that he might be used against her. Was that not the reason she cast out her mother, never kept a friend for long, never got a boyfriend? Was there one truth in the world, it had to be that Rhiessa brought misfortune and misery wherever she went.

This was yet again brought to her mind as Adam discussed the mission arrangements. "So we're going to divide into two teams, and then we will infiltrate the building from different sides. I assume Detective Ellayra will be on the bigger team to ensure her protection. Any questions?"

Oh, this was going to sound bad. But she had to say it. "I think I should be on the smaller team, actually. Or alone."

Adam raised his brow. "Surely you must understand the importance of not letting you fall into the enemies' hands?"

She frowned; that made her sound like some sort of weapon, but she supposed she technically was. Not that it changed much. It was hard to make her life worse at that point. "I've been in the military. I can take care of myself." _I don't want more people to get hurt because of me._

He sighed, but must've recognised that she wouldn't bend on this. "Fine. But you will not go alone. I suppose you want to be with Felix?"

"No!" Upon seeing the obvious hurt on the young vampire's face, she flinched and retreated further into herself. _Great, now I'm hurting people directly too._ "Uh... I mean---of course I don't..." There was no way she could make that sound good. With a sigh, she conceded, "Nevermind. I'm fine with whatever."

She couldn't bear to look at his face right now; it would only further her belief, her _truth_ that she was a horrible person. It wasn't intentional, but it was still her fault and if she'd only tried better, _been_ better it wouldn't be like this. So she did what she always did when it all came too close to the surface; she fled. "Well, inform me of your decision later. I need to go."

In her wake, there was only silence, but she knew that she deserved it. Between choked sobs, she had a dark thought; _maybe I would be better off dead. At least then no one else would suffer._ She had never seriously contemplated taking her life, but if she were to die during a mission... wouldn't that be better than keeping on inflicting suffering on everyone she cared about?

"Rhi? Are you there?" Great. She should've been happy to see him, but all she could think about was how she hurt him. She didn't deserve him.

"Yeah." She hated the way her voice hitched at the single word; the last thing she needed was his sympathy. He shouldn't waste that on her. She was a hopeless cause, and that was just how it was.

"Can I come in?" Oh, shit. Why did he have to care about her of all people? He should have loved someone who wasn't an utter disaster of wrong and bad.

_No. Please don't. I might cry for you and I really can't handle that. I might overshare and you will leave because you see through my mask. No, don't come in._ "Okay."

She hated the fact that she knew exactly why she let him in, despite everything telling her not to.

After all the things she'd survived, she was going to be killed by feelings. Wow, she really was pathetic.

But no matter how much she fought it, all other thoughts fled when Felix stepped through the door, offering a soft, but worried smile. It turned into a frown when he spotted her wet cheeks. "Oh no... are you alright?"

She forced out a chuckle, but it strangled in her throat. "Of course. Haven't been better. How about you?"

He shook his head. "No, Rhi. You're lying." She opened her mouth to shut him up, but he continued, "Look at yourself! Look at yourself and tell me you're all right."

She tried to keep her composure, but only ended up sobbing into her hands. Felix gently pried them away. "Hey, it's okay to cry. I don't judge you."

Oh, what was _wrong_ with her? As he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her face into his shoulder, all she could think of was that she'd blatantly rejected him, and he was still letting her cry on him. She _really_ didn't deserve him.

She didn't get the chance to say it, though, as he whispered against her ear, "I know what you're feeling, and you're wrong. I'm not angry at you for snapping at me earlier."

"You should be."

He was silent for a moment, but hurt was evident on his face and she winced. "Why are you always so hard on yourself? Don't you see how good you are?"

_Good._ In another world, maybe, but not in this one. "If you knew me, you wouldn't say that."

"But I want to know you! I guess you don't, though, considering your reaction earlier." The last words were bitter, and despite what he said, he must've blamed her, as he should've.

However, she felt an inexplicable urge to reassure him. "It's not that! I _do_ want to... spend time with you. I just don't want you to get hurt."

He was perplexed, confusion plainly written on his face. "Why would I get hurt by spending time with you? You do realise _I'm_ the vampire, right?"

"I'm not an idiot, Felix." He winced, and she sighed. _Fantastic, another cutting comment. Why do I even bother trying?_ "But you must have noticed by now that my luck is the worst ever. Plus, I'm super mean to everyone. Do you still not see how I hurt you? Even after everything I say to you?"

"You don't do it on purpose. I feel your guilt every time it happens."

She averted her gaze. "That doesn't change the fact that I do it."

"No," he conceded. "It doesn't. But I forgive you, you know. We all make mistakes."

She didn't quite know what to say to that, and after a silent moment Felix just patted her back and let her go. "It's gonna be alright, okay? We're too awesome for it not to be."

It was all that she could manage to give a nod, but that was an improvement, she supposed.

\---

The next day, it was time for the mission. She didn't know what Felix had said to the others, but Nate gave her a symphathetic look as they split up in front of the building. She wished he wouldn't bother.

She didn't notice Felix sidling up to her until she felt his hand on her arm. "Are you ready for this?"

"I have to be." He frowned, but kept silent after that.

Their side of the building was completely deserted, though the many shadowed corners still had her keeping an eye out.

A dark grey cat crept towards them from underneath the rafters, and in hindsight that should've been suspicious, but how was she supposed to know? It was a cat.

Felix spotted it and broke out in a instanteous smile. "Hey, kitty cat. What are you doing here?"

There was her first warning sign. It didn't meow. It simply cocked its head, watching his outstretched hand with blue eyes. Since when did a cat have blue eyes? Maybe she just hadn't seen anyone yet.

After a moment, he withdrew his hand. "Oh, well. Not everyone can appreciate this magnificence."

She would have laughed, wasn't it for the fact that the cat was now watching them both with a... grin?

The realisation came a moment too late, and she knew that even as she yelled, "Felix, look out!" He turned around, only succeeding in getting the cat's all-too big claws in his back instead of his chest.

_That's not a cat._ Horror struck her as she watched the cat grow paws and claws as big as her head. _Cats didn't smile like that._ After a minute, she finally found her voice to scream, "ADAM! MASON! NATE! HELP!"

Her voice reverberated throughout the building, but she had no idea how far away they were. She let out a horrified whimper when she finally took in Felix's form on the floor. "No, no, no, no...." He was still. Too still. _This is all my fault._ "Why didn't you take me instead?"

The cat just sat there. Why wasn't it attacking her too? It slipped into the shadows then, a couple seconds before she heard the sound of footsteps.

They only registered in the back of her mind, though, the rest wholly focused on the dark blood flowing from Felix's wounds. There were gashes all through his shirt, and when she turned his head, his eyes were closed. No breathing. None at all.

The others came running to her side, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the broken form of the man she almost allowed herself to love. _Never let down your guard._ How had she managed to forget that?

\---

She didn't sleep that night, worried out of her mind about the bright, wonderful vampire who had gotten stuck in the wrong company. So when Adam finally told her, "He's going to be all right, but you can't see him until tomorrow", she didn't argue. 

Instead, she packed her bags and said, "I'll head to work, then." He gave her a worried look, but remained silent. Of course, he suspected nothing.

She didn't arrive to work that day. In fact, she didn't arrive anywhere that day. When Tina called her, there was only silence. When Adam and Mason called her, there was only silence. Nate knew enough to not bother trying.

When Felix finally woke up and could call... there was a message.

"Felix... I'm sorry. I wish we had more time together, but I think we both know that wouldn't be good for either of us. Our time was running out from the moment we met. If I could undo everything, I would. It...."

A soft sob made its way through the phone, and tears spilled down Felix's cheek. "It would've been better if I never knew you. If I never knew how happy I could be.

Were we ever happy? Or were we just waiting for the inevitable end? I don't know. But it all ends the same.

Don't try to contact me. We will never meet again.

Forgive me. Forget me."


	7. Sleep (Adam x Eboniessa x Nate)

Adam could sense that there was something wrong the moment Felix, Nate and Eboniessa entered the building. It was too quiet. Why weren't Felix and Eby joking about the mission? Why wasn't Nate sighing at their antics? Why wasn't Mason complaining about the disturbed peace?

It was too quiet, and Adam found himself all too interested in why. He would never admit it, but there was a prickle of fear crawling up his spine.

Whatever he was thinking, it was nowhere near the sight that met him when they entered the living room. Nate held a limp form in his arms while Felix hovered around them with an unusually nervous expression.

However, it only took him two seconds and as many steps across the room to realise who was in Nate's arms. _Of course it was her._ But the jealousy he felt was overpowered by the intense _worry_ at her still form. She was breathing, at least, but why was she unconscious?

"What happened?" he demanded, then realised how close he was and backed up hastily. Felix gave him a smirk, but it was barely registered in his frenzied brain.

Nate frowned and gently set her down on the couch before answering. "We don't know exactly," the words only furthering Adam's panic. "She was stung by some supernatural, but neither I nor Felix could recognise it. Her pulse and breathing seem to be stable." Even though clouded by Adam's own, the worry in Nate's tone was painfully clear.

 _She made her choice. Accept that._ But even when Eby was now dating Nate, Adam found it hard to let go of her. _Did I ever have a grip on her?_ Did it even matter? The end result was clear, she had chosen, and it wasn't him. He suspected that the emotional turmoil raging in his heart was the closest he'd get to feeling sick.

He laid a hand on Nate's shoulder, trying hard to be the friend he was before everything happened. "We'll find out what supernatural it was, and then we will fix this, okay? It'll be all right."

"Thank you, Adam. You are a good friend." Then he lifted Eby into his arms again and carried her away, probably to his or her bed. The amount of bitterness that coursed through Adam said clearly, _No. I am not a good friend. If I was, wouldn't I be happy for you?_

Before he could leave the room himself, headed to the library (because as much as he wanted to punch out his frustrations, finding a cure was so much more important), Felix grabbed his arm and gave him a sorrowful look. "Are you okay?"

He wrenched it away, masking his fear, worry, bitterness, everything behind unjustified anger. "Why wouldn't I be?" It was a testament to how great a friend the younger vampire was that he didn't take it personally. Instead, he only frowned when Adam stormed away.

\---

After several hours of research, they still hadn't found any mention of a supernatural similar to the one Nate and Felix saw. When Nate slammed his latest book down on a table, Adam jumped in shock. He had never seen his oldest friend like this before, hands shaking and composure wholly gone. _But you know why he is like this, don't you? After all, you're feeling the same thing._

Except he had absolutely no right to do that. Eby was a member of the team, yes, but the worry he felt stretched far beyond that.

Nate thankfully interrupted his thoughts. "What if it's urgent? What if we find it out, but it's already too late?" She had showed no sign at all of waking up since they brought her to the warehouse, and every second felt like the clock was ticking for something more than usual.

Felix was the worst to look at; the normally cheerful vampire hadn't smiled the entire day. Eby was his best friend, and it must have killed him almost as much as Nate to see her like this. _Almost as much as it killed Adam._

Now, he didn't smile, but his frown lifted a fraction at Nate's words. "Maybe we should focus our efforts on urgent things? If it's not urgent, we still have time, but if it _is,_ there's no time to waste."

As much as he really didn't want to think of that, it was a good idea, so they set to work with specifically the books about supernaturals whose powers imposed time limits on the affected. It wasn't long until Nate gave a triumphant smile. "It might be this one. The picture matches what we saw." Felix looked over his shoulder and agreed, and instantly a weight dropped from Adam's shoulders.

"So what is the cure?" he asked, slight worry still clutching his heart.

Nate's smile only brightened. "It says here only a kiss from one's true love can wake someone up from the spell. That should be easy."

Adam, however, felt his heart sink. _Of course it was that. If she truly was Nate's true love, why couldn't he just be happy for them?_

Continuing blissfully unaware of Adam's misery, Nate added, "But if twenty-four hours passes before this, the person will never wake up again. How long have we been here?"

Felix checked the clock. "About seven hours. There's still a lot of time."

Nate had a spring in his steps when he stood up, but no matter how much Adam wanted to feel the same, he couldn't. Felix laid a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to watch it." It was low enough so that Nate wouldn't hear it, but it still made Adam's heart ache terribly.

"I have to." Who knew? Maybe it would help him accept the inevitable truth. So, albeit uncomfortably, they both followed Nate down the corridor to her room. _At least it isn't Nate's._ He hated himself for that thought.

Splayed out on her bed, long braids all around her head, he could've convinced himself she was sleeping. In a way, he supposed she was. He could see the utmost care Nate had taken with her, placing her head on a pillow and carefully draping her sheets over her small body. He wondered if his fingers had traced the lines of it, loving her in a way Adam never could.

Those same fingers were now cupping her face with an adoration Nate never failed to show, no matter the moment. He leaned in, and Adam suppressed the urge to close his eyes. How much of a coward wouldn't he be, not even being able to watch his friends in love?

His resolve didn't stop the shattered pieces of his heart from breaking further when their lips met. _Any moment now, she will open her eyes and meet his. Any moment..._

But the moment didn't come. Her eyes remained closed, her breathing not changing in the slightest. After a minute of shocked silence, Nate pulled away with confusion written over his features. "Why doesn't it work?"

 _Are they not soulmates?_ The selfish part of him wanted to hold onto that thought, but the logical one knew there was a much more likely answer. "Could there be another similar supernatural?" There _had_ to be.

Nate nodded, too fast. "Of course." Then he was gone, dashing away with transparent worry making his steps faster than usual, almost matching his erratic heartbeat.

Adam moved to do the same, but Felix blocked the door. "The image was identical to the supernatural that stung her. You're giving him false hope."

"It can't be that one, otherwise his kiss would have woken her."

Felix's frown deepened. "Maybe he's not her soulmate."

Adam tried to calm his suddenly heavy breathing. "The book was clear. The spell only works if the person in question _has_ a soulmate. It doesn't make sense."

"Doesn't it? Adam." His voice was pleading, begging him to do something unspeakable. "You know why it didn't work. Don't let her die because of you." Then he was gone, leaving Adam with an impossible choice.

\---

 _Don't let her die because of you._ As horrible as it was, he knew it in the depths of his heart; if he didn't at least try, he would have her blood on his hands. But how could he do something so vile as kiss his best friend's girlfriend? It would be as certain a betrayal as any; he could never look Nate in the eyes again. _Fifteen hours left._ He had been pacing the room for two hours already, feeling time slipping between his fingers.

 _Nate's happiness or her life._ Actually, that was a lie. Nate would never be happy again if she died. _Your friendship or her life._

As selfish as it was, there was nearly nothing he wouldn't sacrifice for her life. And so, his decision was made. Brushing away a braid from her face, he sank to his knees and pressed his lips to hers.

It was magnetic. It was everything he'd ever wanted. When her brown eyes fluttered open to meet his, he could swear a tear made its way down his cheek.

But it wasn't right. A sinking feeling in his chest led him to look back, immediately wishing he hadn't.

The door was wide open, Nate staring at him with pure heartbreak emanating from every inch of his suddenly much smaller being.

And Adam knew that this time... there was no going back.


	8. Villain (Adam x Eboniessa x Nate)

Nate hadn't talked to her at all since yesterday, and even though she understood why, it hurt her. _Adam_ was the one who kissed her when she was asleep (she tried hard to block out how soft his lips felt). She wished Nate would at least hear her out instead of shutting her out.

And then there was also the question; why did he kiss her? He knew that Nate and her were together, so what he did was cheating, plain and simple. She hadn't talked to him either. If her relationship was ruined, that was completely on him.

She wanted to blame Nate for assuming, too, but she knew how it must have looked. Then, there was also the fact that she didn't remember the past day at _all_ before she woke up with Adam's lips on hers. Was she really completely innocent? Or had she done something unforgivable too?

The things she _did_ know: Adam kissed her. She might have kissed him back; she was unsure on that one. Nate saw. They were both ignoring her now, and it drove her insane. After everything, was she going to lose _both_ of them? She didn't even know what happened!

Time was running out, that was another thing she had known for quite a bit. She just hadn't expected it to happen like this.

She couldn't bear to stay at the warehouse for any longer than she had to, but when she saw Felix in the hall she finally allowed herself to smile. Finally, someone who wasn't avoiding her. "Hey, Eby!" Then, in a lower voice, "How are you?"

She sighed. "I mean, both the guys I like are avoiding me, so I would say today's definitely an 'everything sucks'. Do you know anything about that, by the way?"

He frowned. "Well, you must've noticed that Adam kissed you. Which pretty much confirmed that he's your true love, and Nate _isn't,_ so--"

_"What?!"_ Adam, her true love? No, no, no! She was dating Nate, wasn't... wasn't she supposed to love _him?_

He stared at her, utterly befuddled. "They didn't tell you? Ah, now I get why you're so down. Do you remember getting stung by a supernatural?"

"No." She tried to check over herself, but Felix stopped her with a light---if slightly forced laugh. "Don't worry, there are no physical injuries. Anyway, you fell asleep, and apparently the only way to cure this was for you to be kissed by your true love; except Nate tried, and it didn't work."

Oh. In that case, she really had failed Nate as a girlfriend. How couldn't it work? She was together with _him,_ not Adam!

Felix continued, "Sooo since you were going to die in seventeen hours if your true love didn't kiss you, I told Adam to do it, and apparently he did it while Nate watched because I saw him storm out soon afterwards with the most heartbroken expression I'd ever seen because he finally understood that he wasn't the one you loved, even though you dated him. Why did you do that, anyway? And then--"

"Felix." she interrupted. "Please... just give me a moment." He nodded and she stared into the wall, begging it to give her the answers she needed. Why couldn't she just love Nate? Were they _absolutely_ certain that the spell didn't work with anyone _but_ her true love?

Either way, she was going to have to confront them about it sooner or later. It couldn't continue like this. "I have to talk to Adam." The one she _should_ have talked to was probably Nate, but she didn't want to see the hurt in his eyes, knowing it was, at least partly, her fault.

Felix nodded. "Of course." And with a pat on her shoulder, he walked away.

\---

Locating Adam proved to be hard, though. He most definitely didn't want to be found, but after several minutes she saw him pacing the treeline. "Adam!" For a moment, his eyes softened looking into hers, but then it was like a window shuttered closed and he was cold again.

"Detective." She winced. Was he ever going to stop denying? Maybe this was a bad idea.

But she had to know. "We need to talk."

"With all due respect, what could we _possibly_ have to talk about?"

Oh, now he was going to play dumb? She sighed and looked away from him. "Don't even try. We both remember what happened yesterday."

"There is nothing to talk about. I did it to save your life, not because of anything else."

It should have surprised her, but she was all too used to things like that when it came to Adam. So instead of pushing it further, she let it go with a deep frown.

How could Adam be her true love if he wouldn't even acknowledge liking her? Maybe the spell went wrong. Either way, she didn't have to let it control her life. It was stupid to let go of her boyfriend only because of what an old, dusty book said.

Which reminded her that there was one more person she had to talk to. "Right." She told Adam, not sure what else there was to say in the athmosphere he had created. "See you later, I guess." He didn't reply and she fought back an annoying sting in her heart at his utter nonchalance, focusing instead on a task that was as necessary as scary.

She might not have liked it, but she had to talk to Nate. They couldn't leave it like this, not without a lifetime of what-ifs. If they were truly over... she needed him to say it. Make it blatantly, awfully clear until no doubt remained that she had ruined it. That there was no hope left.

Maybe then... she could finally move on with her life, away from this mess. Adam had certainly made his position clear, at least. In truth, he had for long, but she didn't want to believe it. It was time to stop deluding herself.

\---

After one hour with absolutely no trace of the man, however, she considered giving up. Did he really hate her that much?

Just when she was about to leave entirely, a voice sounded behind her. "Hey." The disappointment she felt when seeing Mason was quickly stored away for her own sanity. Instead, she smiled.

"Hey, Mason. Did you want to talk, or...?" She wasn't exactly looking to stay, now that she'd concluded that fifty percent of the building's habitants despised her. _For good reason._

He started to reach towards his jeans pocket, but one sigh from her stopped him. _Huh. That's new._ But he didn't make any move to talk until after at least two minutes had to have passed. "You're unhappy." It was a statement, and she didn't know what to say except nod. He continued, "You're _all_ unhappy. It's annoying."

Ah, there it was, his delightfully charming personality. Did she detect a hint of care in it, though? That was... okay. Okay was a good word, a safe word in her tumult of feelings. "Are you just here to complain, or did you need me for something?"

_Now_ he looked uncomfortable. "Just wanted to inform you that Nate is in the far right section of the library." It was said with just enough nonchalance to make it seem like nothing. But it wasn't.

She gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Mason."

"Whatever." But he returned it, if only slightly, when he then walked past her out the doors.

Oh well, she had no excuse to avoid him now. With a sigh, she trudged towards the library.

Time to face the music. But even with her squared shoulders and brave face, it all fell when his back got into view. She missed being able to rub that back, cuddling with these arms, staring into these eyes... shit, he was looking at her.

Not with a smile, but a frown that made her insides twist unpleasantly. "Eboniessa." Really? Nobody, literally _nobody_ called her by her full name anymore. Super official people called her Eboni, but she introduced herself with Eby when she had the choice.

It shouldn't have hurt that much, but it did. _Are you not my friend anymore, Nate? Is it really too late? Can't I do something,_ anything _to fix this?_

She mirrored his frown, not even trying to hide that she hurt, too. "Is that how it's gonna be from now on?" He didn't reply. "Nate. Why do we have to listen to some bullshit about 'true love'? I want to be with you, don't you understand? Are you really going to let this end us, just like that? What happened to forever? What happened to effort? What--"

He growled, the expression so unlike him that she backed a step. _"You're_ going to talk to me about effort? How much effort did it take to get over him? Shit, did it take _effort_ for you to love me? Did you..." he trailed off, tears shining in the dark brown eyes that used to gaze at her with warmth. Now, they held only pain. "Did you love me because of me, or because Adam didn't love you?"

She was about to tell him, spill the horrible truth that she loved them _both_ and she didn't know what to do anymore. But something made her hesitate. As much as it hurt... wasn't it better for her to lie so he could move on with his life? Forget her. The thought brought a twinge of unease, but she pushed it away.

So she bit her lip and remained silent, even as she watched the hope in his eyes slowly die, replaced by hardness. _It's better this way. He's better off this way. Without you._ She welcomed the thoughts because they were true, circling around her head like a mantra.

"I see." There was no emotion in his voice, nothing at all. It was as scary as painful to watch, the normally so open man closing himself off.

_It's your fault. You're the villain. Not Murphy, not Falk, not that supernatural but you._

_He's better off without you._


	9. Fight (Iliana x Adam)

They were taken off guard, that was the only way to explain everything happening. But how? She knew that she had gotten worse at observing her surroundings ever since Adam came into her life, but was it really _that_ much? Maybe she should start distancing herself. Not like anything was happening anyway.

But in the moment, her concentration had to be on the fight. Yes, they were outmanned, but Adam's vampirism helped even the odds out. Well, she hoped, at least. She couldn't afford to look at him, though, not if she wanted to make it through this.

Amazingly, despite their high number, only five of the at least fifty were currently focused on her, giving her just enough power to hold them off. Unfortunately, due to them walking into an unknown ambush, neither she nor Adam had any weapons. Well, he had fangs, she supposed, but he wasn't using them. So she was reduced to her fists, feet, elbows, knees, skull... okay, she had a couple of options.

Thanking her earlier self for taking extra combat lessons, she set to work. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to get in a lot of hits, having to focus mostly on protecting herself against her multiple opponents.

Until Adam came into her sight and she hated it but she hesitated, because there was a Trapper going to jab something into his back. She didn't know what, but it couldn't be good. There was no time to think, and despite her instincts warning her to not lose sight of her opponents, her body lunged towards _him._

"Hey!" Both Adam and the Trapper turned towards the sound, but she filed the vampire's reaction away, focusing on her goal. _Bingo._ With a yell, she whipped out her fist and hit his nose head-on, that twisted unnaturally and started dripping blood.

Adam was still looking at her with an odd expression, until his eyes suddenly widened. "Look out!" He rushed forwards, but she'd already stepped that way, causing his chest to bump against hers. Nope. She was _not_ dealing with that in the middle of a confrontation.

Then his arms gripped hers, swinging her behind him as he faced whoever was going to attack her. _Focus! This is not the right time._ Instead, she recalled her paired combat training, pressing her back against his to face the Trappers behind him. _Whatever you do, do_ not _think about the way his back feels._

It was easier to let go of these thoughts (mostly, at least) when the Trappers launched into relentless attack yet again. _Or maybe time had just felt slower for a couple seconds._ Ugh, was it going to be like this a lot? It was annoying.

It wasn't big, really, but just distracting enough to make her focus off by a tiny bit. She swore as one of the Trappers jabbed a syringe into her arm. _Shit._ She had no way of knowing what was in there. Poison? Sedatives? Some weird experimental shit? Who knew.

Ugh, it stung. Her vision was getting blurry, _shit--_

\---

Suddenly Ilon's body was heavy against his back, making him concernedly turn toward her, only to be forced to lunge forward to keep her from falling. _Shit,_ she was unconscious. What had happened? He heard her swear seconds earlier, maybe that was when it happened?

Her breathing was steady, heartbeat stable... it did really seem like a normal sedative. _But what if it isn't?_ He couldn't afford to take that risk. So instead of trying to fight the entire group by himself, he launched himself over their heads with Ilon pressed tightly to his chest, speeding away before they even realised what happened.

\---

He was barely inside the warehouse before Felix zoomed up to him, grinning eagerly at the woman in his arms. "Well, well, well... you sure are looking cosy there, Adam."

He sighed. "She's _unconscious,_ Felix. And I don't know why. Can you focus on that, please?"

The younger man's expression instantly turned into a frown. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed by Trappers on the way from the station. She was injected by something, but I don't know what. She is stable, so I'm thinking some kind of sedative."

"Do you think we should bring her to the Agency?"

He hesitated. "I think she'll be fine." Ilon would never forgive him if he made her go to the hospital unnecessarily. She hated it, and though he hadn't inquired further, he knew she had trauma related to being there.

\---

It took 10 hours for Ilon to wake up, and when she finally opened her eyes Adam was a shredded bunch of nerves. Despite himself, he reached a hand forward to touch her cheek.

She blinked confusedly. "Adam? Ugh, that syringe had something strong in it, didn't it?"

"Yes. I was--- _we_ were worried about you." Cursing himself mentally for the slip-up, he let go of her and folded his arms in his lap.

She smiled, the expression unusual for her. "Yet you're the only one here."

"It wasn't necessary for several people to wait for your awakening. Speaking of, I should let them know that you're up." He started to walk away, but her tiny hand snapped up to grab his bicep, causing him to turn back with confusion. "What is it?"

She gave him a hesitant, but soft smile. "Can't you stay here a little longer before? I...ugh, this is going to sound weird, but I kinda feel safe with you." She then groaned and buried her face in her hands.

He decided to ignore the implications, and just gave a nod. "We are essentially your bodyguards, so that is natural. That said..." he hesitated. _Do you really want to say that? You know what she'll think._

"Yes?" she prompted.

"I'm glad."

She looked briefly shocked, but then reached out, placing her fingers on top of his. When she'd made sure he was okay with the touch, she laced their fingers together.

"I'm glad too."


	10. Blood (Cherie x Mason)

Some people thought that the worst feeling was guilt. Others sadness. Surely someone, anger.

From her spot leaning against a wall, Cherie knew it had to be helplessness. She clutched her throat weakly, despising the way she could only watch as the vampire tore into a young girl.

He wasn't even hungry; he'd drank from her only minutes before. No, he did it for _fun._ It made her feel sick. How could he find pleasure in hurting people?

Well, maybe it was like chocolate, or drugs. She didn't know vampire biology. Still, it was wrong.

She was just walking home from the station, but suddenly he was there and bit her before she could react. It took all her energy to stand upright. How much blood had she lost? Just looking about it made her insides clench.

She should call someone. But with bloody fingers, it was a miracle that she managed to call up Mason within a few seconds. The call connected shortly, almost making her sob with relief. "Mason--"

The vampire had noticed her and took the phone, only to crush it in his grip. Had Mason even heard her?

The vampire glared at her, but though her chest tightened with fear she refused to let it show, choosing instead to meet his stare head on.

Until he suddenly knocked his fist into her stomach, making her drop to the ground despite her best efforts with a cry of pain. She struggled with drawing in breaths, they were lighter and faster than they should have been. _You can't even protect yourself. That girl is dead now because you weren't strong enough._

She was almost passing out from the blood loss and hyperventilation, but her heart still made a cartwheel when Mason rushed into her sight with a furious growl. _I thought I was over him._ Well, she _did_ call him. Why did she do that, again? It was an impulse decision, she justified to herself. _You could have called Adam._ But she didn't.

Her view was getting spotty, but she forced her eyes to stay open through the fight that ensued. Mason was incredibly strong, but with her blood in the equation, the fight was stacked against him. She winced every time he was dealt a hit.

But then the rest of the unit came into sight, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Together, they should be able to get the upper hand.

After several heated minutes, the noise died out, and she worried about the outcome until Felix exclaimed, "Wow, he was _super_ strong."

But all that faded away when Mason crouched down in front of her. "Cherie." He tried to smirk, but it cracked on his words. "You look terrible." His hands slid down her body, hopefully checking her for injuries and nothing else. But it was not long before his eyes widened and he pressed his fingers against the side of her neck with an anguished look in his normally so neutral eyes.

_Stop it. You're not falling in love again just because he cares about your life. That's not enough._ But her breath hitched in her throat as he gently cradled her in his hands, and she knew the battle was lost before even starting. Tears prickled in her eyes, and he gave her an understanding frown. He understood nothing at all.

\---

Even adrenaline could only keep her awake for so long, and she ended up falling asleep on the way home. Mason had carried her - the memory bringing both annoyance and utterly unwanted feelings.

Now, she was in her own room at the warehouse. The bite had been relatively easy to bandage, thankfully.

But she couldn't stop thinking about it all. Mason stood outside her door - had been for a couple of minutes, but she was still trying to decide whether to let him in or not. On the one hand, they really did need to talk. On the other hand, she knew that spending more time with him was only going to further the feelings she rejected.

With a sigh, because it was supposed to be the wrong choice, she called out, "You can come in if you want to." She didn't expect him to flash inside that quick, though.

"Are you all right?"

She sighed. " _I_ am. But you saw that woman in the alley with us yesterday? She's _dead._ No matter how heroic you were for saving me, she isn't coming back." She took a deep breath. "Aren't you tired of all this? Having to save me all the time because I get taken by bad guys and inadvertedly give them power."

He perched on the bed beside her and placed his fingers over hers. "Don't beat yourself up about it, sweetheart. These things happen. _None_ of this is your fault. Do you understand?"

"If I had been better, she would have been alive! How can it not be my fault, when I caused it? If he hadn't found me---if I had just fought back better--"

"If he hadn't found you, he would have drunk from someone else. He was hungry, not looking for you specifically."

She looked down into her lap, because she wanted him to be right but didn't know if she could accept that. He was silent, waiting for her answer but at the same time not pressuring her to say anything.

So she didn't, merely gave him a soft smile and squeezed his hand. _Thank you._


	11. Transformation (Zinnia x Nate)

Zinnia still hadn't stopped screaming, and every pained yell made Nate's heart shatter. How long was it going to be like this? They had no idea as to whether the mutation affected the transformation, but if it did anything unknown could happen.

If only he'd come to her faster---if just--

"Nate." Adam's voice brought him out of his reverie, but he kept his eyes fixed on Zi. "How long have you been here?"

"Since it started." It felt like an eternity. "I don't know how long it has gone on for."

Adam sighed. "Four hours, Nate. You've been standing here the whole time?"

"I wanted to be in there with her---" his voice cracked, "but they wouldn't let me. They say I could mess it up."

His friend was silent for a moment, then placed his hand on Nate's shoulder. "She'll get through this. Most people who don't survive it die in the first hour."

"Most... not all." The thought crossed his mind more often than anything else. Would she wake up? If--- _when_ she did, would she still be the same? Or would the transformation change more than just her body? Would she still want to be with him?

Felix came by an hour later, offering to watch over her so Nate could rest, but he declined. If she had to suffer like this, he would be with her every moment. Instead, the younger vampire stood beside him, occasionally offering a symphathetic glance. There was nothing more he could do.

Thirty minutes later, Felix left him too. There were Agency workers milling around, but he paid them no attention. He couldn't, not when the love of his life was crying and thrashing, bound to a hospital bed. The screaming had stopped, only because her voice gave out. But he could see the anguish on her face---he mirrored it, and the way she desperately tried to move even though she couldn't.

It was all his worst nightmares and more, except she was still breathing, not utterly still and _cold_ like he feared more than anything else. What would he do if she didn't wake up?

Suddenly she gasped, then went limp. This is it. The moment of truth. _Is it done... or is she--_ He dashed inside the room immediately, remembering the Agency medic telling him that at this point, he couldn't make it better or worse.

Then she opened her eyes, and he could swear without a doubt that it was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. She blinked confusedly before reaching up to him. "Nate?" Then she screamed---her voice healed by the transformation, and he instantly backed away. _Please, don't let her be afraid of me._

He concluded that it wasn't that when she pressed her hands to her ears, rocking back and forth. "Why is everything so much? Make it _stop!"_ Tears formed in her eyes. "Am I dying?"

It was painful to watch, but reassuring. "No, Zi. That's your hypersenses."

"Hypersenses?" Then it seemed to click in her. "I'm..."

"A vampire. Congratulations. You survived." Relief leaked into his voice, and he didn't bother hiding it. "Is it okay... can I touch you, or will that make it worse?" He knew it sometimes took several days for new vampires to get used to their bodies. Some, like Mason, never really did, just learned to cope.

But she smiled. "Please, I need a hug." He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her small frame... except it wasn't so small anymore.

He chuckled. "You might want to stand up, love."

"Why?" But she did, and the shock on her face was adorable. "What---how... oh. I _am_ supposed to be taller, right?" Then she grinned. "How tall do you think I am now? Got to be at least six feet."

He smiled, but concluded that she was wrong. "I think more something like five foot eleven, but that's close."

"Seriously? By your turning, I should be six foot five!"

"At least you're taller than Felix."

She punched his arm, groaning playfully. "Already was, it doesn't count. I'm not even as tall as Mason."

He slung an arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the room together. "You know I love you regardless of your height, right?"

"Even if I was four feet tall?"

He chuckled. "That would've been a bit inconvenient, but nothing we couldn't make work."

She lifted her hand to her shoulder to hold his, giving him a bright smile. "I love you, Nate."

"And I love you, Zi."


	12. Flesh (Adam x Eboniessa x Nate)

When Eby came into his room, shock filled him more than anything else. He didn't think she'd want anything to do with him after last week. What was she doing there?

She fidgeted uncertainily, though, staying near the door without really looking at him. He wished he could have been surprised, but he really wasn't. He'd yelled at her---even with what she'd done, it gave him pangs of guilt that she wasn't comfortable with him anymore.

Still, what was she doing here? It had been quite clear that she'd chosen Adam, and even as it pained him, he wished them all the best. Was she just here to rub it in? No, that wasn't like Eby. She had to have something else to say. With a sigh, he cleared his throat. "Something you need?"

Her eyes darted back and forth before she took a shaky step forward. "We need to talk."

"With all due respect, I can't see what we possibly have to talk about. You have made the situation quite clear." _I wish it wasn't like this._

"Nate... I made a mistake." She was looking at him now, with wide glassy eyes. "I lied to you."

"What are you talking about?" He was so close to losing his composure, but he couldn't let that happen. _This isn't happening._

She met his eyes. "I lied to you about not loving you, because I wanted you to move on. But I can't. I can't move on and stop loving you. Please. I know I don't deserve it, but give me a second chance."

His mind was spinning. _Weren't you dreaming about this? Then why does it feel so wrong?_ The minute his best friend became involved in the equation, everything became so much more complicated. Could he really prioritise his happiness above Adam's? _She's_ your _girlfriend._ Was she still that, egen after everything that had happened? They had never officially broke up, but it was implied.

He raked a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth. "I need a moment." She nodded and left the room with a sigh.

When he exited himself, she wasn't there anymore. He had to find her. Maybe he was weak, but he wanted to make it work.

Then he rounded the corner, and his heart stopped. Eby was on her tiptoes, hugging Adam with a smile. When Adam spotted Nate, he gently pushed her away. But he couldn't speak. Pain roiled inside of him, and betrayal. _It was all just pretty words. Of course. What an idiot you are, getting your hopes up like that._

She couldn't even meet his gaze, to see the hurt in it when he said, "Really? So it _is_ like that."

"I'm sorry. But I promise that Adam and I are just friends, for now. We've... got some stuff to figure out."

_That's all she's going to say? Friends don't look at each other like that._ "Oh yeah? Sorry for being an obstacle, I guess." He turned back to leave, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Because there was Eby, striding towards him with a nervous smile. "Nate, have you... what in the shit?!" She pointed a finger at... Eby? still standing beside Adam.

_No. This wasn't happening._ Both of the Eby-looking people screamed when they saw each other.

" _Shit,_ who are you--"

"No, no, no..."

Nate's head swung between the women, panic making his thoughts cloudy. He'd heard about shifters, but how would they know which one was the real one? _Do I_ want _to know? What if everything was just pretty lies?_

Adam seemed to echo his thoughts, hesitantly taking a step away from the Eby near him. "How are we going to figure out who is who?"

The Eby near Nate spoke to him. "I did---I _do_ love you for you, Nate." Her voice shook, and she kept glancing at the other Eby.

But the Eby beside Adam did the same. "Adam... do you remember what you told me? _Tu omnia."_ Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him. "It's me. Please, believe me."

Nate's voice was weak, but he croaked out, "No. That can't be her. The other one knows something only she could."

Adam didn't look him in the eyes. "...But I _did_ say that."

_You are everything._ Was that before or after they broke up? How long had they been going behind his back?

The Eby beside Adam started crying. "You---you told me that you had to feel nothing. That it wouldn't be any easier if I understood. Do you still feel that way?"

_Have I ever really known her at all? If this is true... then she was cheating on me a long time before._ "Adam, please---tell me it's not true."

The older vampire wouldn't meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, Nate."

They still had the shapeshifter to deal with, but the win from figuring it out didn't feel as such. He caught the real Eby's eyes. "How long has this been going on?"

She hid her face in Adam's shoulder, _he let her,_ and mumbled, "Since before." _Before we got together._

"Oh, wow. So you really did get together with me in spite. Tell me, did you find it _funny_ ," his voice broke, "watching Adam agonize over you while you were kissing someone you didn't want? You must've been happy when he finally kissed you in that bed." Turning to Adam, he added, "You weren't surprised when I failed, were you?"

He knocked the shapeshifter in her flesh out before he fled, but it felt hollow.


	13. Apology (Shayla x Mason)

"They won't find us here. We're completely hidden from view. We're safe."

His words did little to calm the shaking woman behind him. "Can't they smell me? They're going to follow that trail right here!"

"Sweetheart, it'll be fine." But she was right; there was a possibility that the vampires could smell her, and that could lead them on the right path.

Suddenly she got an idea. "Can't you use your pheromones? Nate says that they can cover up smell."

He tensed. Of course; she didn't know. Could he risk the consequences? He'd seen what happened the last time he tried this exact thing.

Another question, did he have a choice? Better a headache than dead. She mumbled, "Please, Mason." As pathetic as it was, that did him in. He could hear their pursuers coming closer by the second, so with a grunt, he started projecting. On a level as high as that, he could only hold it for a minute, though. At least if he didn't want to overexert himself.

When he looked back at Shayla, everything else disappeared. She was lying on the ground, breathing heavily with her eyes closed. _Not just a headache. What have you done? This is your fault._ "Sweetheart?" She didn't answer, of course not. It was a foolish hope.

Could they afford to stay here? Her heartbeat and breathing was pretty normal, so she shouldn't have been in any imminent danger, but he still... oh, shit. He _worried._ That was a new one, for someone outside the team. But he supposed she was one of them now.

After another minute, he concluded that their chasers had moved away and carefully picked up Shayla from the ground. Would jostling her hurt her? Probably not, if he was careful. He tried to keep her as still as possible while they made their way back to the warehouse; it was quite a long way, but the supernaturals chasing them had gone in another direction entirely, so there was no need to hurry.

Felix met him as soon as he opened the doors, but his grin disappeared when he saw the unconscious form in Mason's arms. "Weren't you two supposed to patrol? Why is Shayla unconscious? Ugh---if this is some weird sex thing, I don't want to know, because--"

He sighed. "Not a sex thing, Felix. I... made a poor decision, I think, and that knocked her out. We were chased by supernaturals."

Felix frowned but didn't press further, just fell into step beside him as they strode through the halls. At the door to her room, he concluded that Mason was best suited for watching over her at the moment and left.

He stepped into her room, marveling slightly over the bright blue specks of light from her various propped-up monitors and screens. For some reason, they didn't bother him as much as they would've, had he not been focused on the warm body in his arms. _Weird._ Dismissing the thought, he set her down on the bed and put her sheets over her.

Then he waited.

\---

After what felt like an eternity, but probably was closer to an hour, she started blinking erratically and sat up, wincing as she put her hands to her temples. "Ugh... don't tell me a thrall got the best of me again." Then she noticed Mason sitting in a chair and tensed. "What happened? Was a piano dunked into my head or something? Because it sure feels like it."

He pondered his options, _really_ didn't want to tell her what his pheromones did to her. She gasped, interrupting his thoughts. "Oh no---they did find us, didn't they? Are you okay? Did they hurt you too? Shit, shit--"

He took her hands, disrupting her speech. "They didn't find us, sweetheart. Your plan worked." His tone didn't sound as victorious as the words.

She frowned. "Then why..." It must've dawned on her, because she backed into the wall, fear on her face. "It was you. Why did you knock me out?" Tears filled her eyes. "Am I really that annoying? Mason, please, answer me."

"No! Shayla, you aren't annoying. It's... ugh." She simply quirked an eyebrow, looking skeptic. He would have to explain the whole truth. "My pheromones... they seem to give you headaches. This time, it must've been too much and knocked you out. I'm sorry." It was out; how would she react?

She didn't exactly seem thrilled, but her frown relaxed. "It wasn't on purpose?"

"Sweetheart, I would _never_ hurt you on purpose. Trust me on that, if nothing else."

"But you knew." It was an accusation, spoken softly but burning through his brain like a shout.

"...Yes. I did."

"Why?"

"There was no other way." At least, that was what he had to tell himself. She didn't believe him; he saw it clear in her eyes, but she didn't vocalize it.

Instead, she simply said, "I understand." And somehow that hurt a million times worse.

\---

After a few weeks it became obvious; it was the small things, like going on missions and patrol with other members of the team, but after several times it was painfully clear that she was avoiding him.

He supposed he deserved that.


	14. Throat (Elina x Adam)

Adam knew the fight was lost the second he saw them. She was so small; he'd noticed, of course, but it was painfully obvious as the Trapper held his knife to her throat. Her frame was engulfed by him without even trying. She whimpered when she saw him, panic clear in her eyes and the way she struggled to breathe, probably afraid of the sharp object piercing her skin.

"Vampire." The Trapper gave her hair a hard tug, making her stumble. "I have your friend here. You have nothing. I'd suggest you follow my orders."

Rage and fear roiled in Adam's mind, but he gritted out, "Talk."

"I'm so glad we're on the same page! I know you have more vampire friends in the building, so I think you should call them here. Just so that there aren't any misunderstandings. Oh, and I know that there are exactly three, so don't think you can call two without me noticing."

What choice did he have? He knew that he would fail any mission, do anything for Elina to live. "Nate! Felix! Mason!" Turning back to the Trapper, he sighed. "They should be here in a moment."

"Ah, you choose the easy way. Perfect."

After a few seconds, they heard footsteps coming closer and then bursting through the hallway, his friends stopping abruptly when they catched sight of the situation.

"Shit." Surprisingly, it was Mason that said it. Eli was growing on the team, and were the moment any different, Adam would have smiled. But he couldn't, not when she was in danger.

He addressed the Trapper yet again, "Say what you want."

"Well, we can all see I have the upper hand here. I don't want to hurt her, but can I trust you to not stab me in the back if I let her go?"

Elina finally found her voice, but it was smaller than she usually had. "Please, just let me go. I promise we won't hurt you."

The Trapper laughed, and the sound made her wince. "Even though your mission is to capture me? You don't seriously think I believe you, do you?"

She flinched and shrunk further into herself. " _Adam."_

Her eyes were glassy, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in that moment. "Yes?"

"I'm scared."

Adam turned his gaze on the Trapper, voice cracking. "Can't you see how horrible this is for her? Let her go. _Please."_

He might have imagined it, but he thought he saw a flicker of remorse in the man's eyes. "I'm sorry." What happened after that went fast, but it felt like an eternity to Adam.

He lifted the knife from her throat, only to slam the hilt into the back of her head. As she crumpled to the ground, he ran away, but Adam's entire focus was on Elina, hurrying to catch her before she fell. Her body was limp in his arms, and he resisted the urge to yell.

"Do you want us to go after him?" Nate.

"I'm not sure. He didn't kill her, as he promised. Kinda." Felix.

"I still think we should go hit him real good for Eli." Mason.

Adam himself was focused on examining her head. It seemed like the impact had only rendered her unconscious, her pulse and breathing fairly normal. But could he be completely sure? "Maybe we should get her to the Agency."

Mason furrowed his brow. "Really? We're just going to let that sucker get away?"

Nate put his hand on Adam's shoulder. "She's fine. But I think it's a good idea to return to the facility." And so they set off, Mason grumbling a bit but still doing as they said.

\---

The doctors concluded the same thing; she was fine, no permanent damage, she would wake up in a few hours. And so Adam waited, until her heartbeat sped up and her eyelids opened. Her gaze immediately fell on him, smiling as brilliantly as always. "Did we win?"

"Yes. He got away, but...." _For me, the fact that you survived is a win._ But he couldn't say that. Instead, he simply stated, "The team is intact. That, by itself, is at least somewhat of a win, considering the earlier situation." She winced as she was reminded by the knife scraping against her skin.

"You saved me, didn't you?"

He tensed. "Not really... I think that Trapper had more empathy than some others."

"But then it was you." She reached out and put her hand on his arm. "You pleaded for him to spare me. Thank you."

He tensed further at her touch, but didn't pull away. After a few seconds, he smiled hesitantly. "I had to... but you're welcome."


	15. Feral (Alyssandra x Mason)

Lately, it seemed like every breath was drawn through shards of glass. Every step on thorns, every word a knife, everything battering his senses. _Like it used to. Before._ He'd hoped he would never have to go back to that reality, when the entire world felt against him.

But it wasn't exactly his choice, was it? Ever since Lysa was taken, he couldn't think. Couldn't sleep. His reality was a nightmare that he didn't know how to fix.

They knew nothing. Location? She could be anywhere from Brazil to Siberia, even though she'd logically be close to them. Condition? All they knew was that she could scream. They had gotten a video clip recently, but the only sound was her panicked wails and a couple of foreign men, saying that they wanted some important Agency person in exchange for letting her go.

To him, the decision was obvious. But the Agency had refused to hand Agent Scott over, saying that they couldn't be sure that the kidnappers would give her back anyway. They added that they were so _very sorry for his loss._

That phone didn't last long, crushed in Mason's grip the instant that they used that word. _Loss._ Lysa was _not_ lost. He would find her, and if he had to upturn the entire world by himself, he would.

The day was nothing special. Everything hurt. Everyone was miserable, or maybe it was mostly him. What else was new?

Apparently there _was_ something new, because when he trudged out to the living room (not to live, because he wasn't, not really, but just to... do something) Felix met him with a grin Mason hadn't seen in a week. "Have you heard the latest news?"

"No. You'd think someone would tell me." Despite his monotone voice, he could suddenly _breathe_ again without feeling like the world was on his chest. Had they finally gotten a lead? After all this time? _One week. But it felt like a year._

"We have a rough location with a radius of about a mile, so--"

"Where is she?" That was the only thing he needed to know, so that he could run there immediately, no matter the protocol. He would take on all the Trappers by himself, if he had to.

Felix gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm... not really supposed to tell you. They say you might do a rash decision, go feral... you know."

Mason growled. "Felix, I am never going to forgive you if you keep this from me. _Where?"_ There was desperation in his voice, incited by being so close yet so far.

"I can't! Agent Riehe will fire me if she finds out. But," seeing the hurt and anger on Mason's face, he added, "I can tell you that we are going in two hours. Her mother doesn't want to wait any more than you."

"But I need to go _now!_ They could be hurting her this very moment, don't you get it? I can't sit here, knowing I could've stopped it if I was just allowed." His voice cracked when he added, at a lower volume, "What if two hours is all it takes? What if we're too late?" He didn't usually cry, but he could feel his eyes starting to sting.

Felix put a hand on his shoulder. "She's an important hostage to them. They won't do that." _Kill her._ The words went unsaid between them, but they were both thinking them. After a moment, he added, "So you'll wait? Please."

"Fine," _glass shards in his throat,_ "but we're going the very second two hours have passed, or earlier."

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you. You really care about her." Then he walked away (to meet with the others? To pack his things? As cold as it was, he couldn't have cared less) leaving Mason to dread what they would find. How hurt was she? He'd heard her screams; there was no way they hadn't done horrible things to her. His heart clenched painfully at the unbidden images in his head.

Felix's last words were shoved to the back of his mind, ignored in favor of worry for her. He didn't have the mental capacity to think about what the younger vampire had meant on top of everything else.

\---

The two hours felt much longer, but finally they crammed themselves into an Agency SUV to begin their most important mission for long; their destination being Alaska of all places. Mason had tried to argue that running would go faster, but as Agent Riehe insisted on being right beside them it wouldn't save any time anyway.

The ride wasn't too long, about two or three hours, but it sure felt like they drove around the entire world. Finally, they arrived at a big building with fences around it. It was undeniably suspicious, as the only building for several miles of deep forest. This had to be right---she had to be here.

"How are we doing this?" Felix asked, eyes darting between Mason, Adam and Agent Riehe. "How much information do we have on their numbers?"

"Nearly none. They should all be Trappers, however, so no supernaturals." Agent Riehe explained, and Mason let out a small sigh of relief. At least they couldn't use her blood. (The relief more for the fact that she wasn't drained than that their opponents didn't have a strong weapon)

"I think Mason and I should go straight to them, while you are ready to strike from the shadows if necessary." He was grateful that Adam didn't try to put him somewhere else because of his "emotional connection" or bullshit like that. He needed to be the first to see her, to save her from them. He had to make up for that he couldn't protect her before, however small steps it happened in.

They split up soon afterwards, and he had to stop himself from sprinting right into the building. He needed to see her, see that she was all right (she couldn't be, but he tried to push that thought away, only to utterly fail).

Shit, he just needed to _see_ her. Not doing so for a week had killed him.

They headed into the building at a frustratingly slow pace, and he had to stop himself from snapping about it. Every second could matter, didn't Adam understand that?

After a mile's walk, they came upon a locked door. "This is it. Mason, are you ready for this?"

He could only nod, overcome with anticipation. When Adam kicked open the door, he scarcely breathed for a second. Then they walked in through the dust.

And there she was.


	16. Grief (Iliana x Adam)

He found Ilon in her room pretty quickly, trying not to think about how much he felt at home there. "Agent Jalen has found some new info about the case. She wants to discuss it with you alone."

She rolled her eyes. "Rebecca couldn't come tell me herself? I sure hear how much she needs me."

"I know you are not very close." She scoffed. "But you still need to do your job, Detective."

She gave a light frown and turned away. After a few seconds, Adam's eyes swept the room just to have something to do. There were photos all over the wall that her bed touched, of many different people. Agent Jalen, Ilon herself, a man that must've been her father judging by their similar features, and another woman.

Huh. She didn't match their appearance at all, brown hair to their blonde and freckles stretching between the very corners of her face. She had a solemn expression, looking at something he couldn't see. Despite himself, he was curious. "Who is that woman in the photos? She doesn't look like a member of your family."

Ilon stiffened immediately, and didn't turn back when she said, "No. She isn't." The words were spoken between obviously gritted teeth, and Adam frowned. Did she not like the woman? But then why would she have her picture on her wall?

"Ah. A friend, then?"

"Something like that." He couldn't decipher her body language, any more than _do not talk to me._

But help him, he wanted to. He wanted to understand everything about her, and it drove him mad. "Not anymore?"

"No." The single word was clipped and Adam's brow furrowed. There had to be a story there, but did he want to know it?

"From the photos, it looks like you were quite close."

**_BANG!_ **

She slammed her hand onto the bedside table, almost making her phone fall off before turning to glare at him. "You really want to know? She's _dead."_ Despite her anger clouding most other emotions, there was a deep-set sadness slipping through.

He regretted asking immediately, hating to be the source of her feeling bad, no matter how indirectly. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

Her presence was smaller as she rested her face in her hands. "It's fine. I... ugh. I like talking to you. It's just a really raw subject to me. Do you want to hear the full story, or...?"

"Only if you're comfortable with sharing it. It must have been very hard for you."

She sucked in a breath. "It was. I think you should sit down." She then patted the bed beside her, and Adam froze up. _Is she - that's inappropriate - surely she doesn't mean it like that--_

She rolled her eyes at his reaction. "Jeez, you can sit five feet away if you want to. It's not a big deal." But to him, it was. In a way, it would show him as comfortable in her world, something he couldn't - _shouldn't_ be. He wanted it, oh he wanted it. But it was not meant for him in the first place.

"Or keep standing there like an idiot, that's fine too." He gave her a sheepish smile and sat down in a chair across from her instead.

"But... so... you really want to know? It's not a pretty story. At all."

"You must have realised by now that I am interested in all parts of your life. This is clearly one of them."

She averted her gaze with a start. "Right. Sooo, you know how I don't like hospitals?"

He snorted. "You _hate_ them."

"Anyway, there's a reason for that. I don't think I have told you a lot about my teenage years."

He only gave a slight shake of his head, not wanting to interrupt her.

"I was pretty asocial." _Was?_ "But this one girl, Hope, befriended me. We were inseparable, hanging out as much as we could. Even though most other people thought I was weird, she really _got_ me."

Adam swallowed. "The story doesn't end happily, does it?"

She lowered her head to look into her lap. "No. Because of course, there was something wrong under the surface. It had probably went on for long, but I was blind to it. Then one day, I got a call from her brother that she was in the hospital. When I finally arrived, overtaken by worry, he informed me that she had tried to take her life by overdosing on pills.

Those hours in the waiting room were the longest of my life. When they finally announced that she was stable, I could breathe again. But I was still wondering how this would change everything.

I never found out. On the way home from the hospital with her brother (he wanted to have that time himself, but promised me to visit the next day) she threw herself in front of a car. When the ambulance arrived, it was already too late. Her brother called me, and I thought he just wanted to say that they had made it home, but... it wasn't." She fell silent, hiding her face in her hands.

He didn't know what to say. _I'm sorry._ It felt empty, incomplete. Instead, he stood up with a sigh, walked forward and sat down beside her, bed dipping slightly under his weight. She looked up at him, shocked, and he hesitantly curled an arm around her shaking shoulders.

He wasn't good at any of this, but she didn't pull away. "I am sorry for your loss." She only gave a sigh, relaxing into his body. After a moment, her head dropped onto his shoulder.

It was wholly unlike Ilon, but it also felt like a shield she always kept up was now down, if only for a moment.

It was... nice.


	17. AU (Kira x Adam, Jayné x Felix, Mila x Mason, Zinnia) företagsregister

Wonderful. It was Monday morning, and Jayné wanted nothing more than to turn the bike around and go home already.

It was bad enough that it was Monday. Did she really need to elaborate? Mondays _sucked._ From being the first day of school to being their longest day of the week. But in addition to the obvious, they had a test today. Math was one of her best subjects, but it was still tiring.

It was cold outside, and the wind didn't make it better. When she finally got off her bike in front of the school, her hands were shaking. Ugh. It was warm inside, at least.

She wasn't quite sure where to hang out before class, so she ended up just wandering the halls absentmindedly. Having gotten used to the solitude, she almost jumped into the air when a voice sounded behind her. "Hey, Jayné!"

She spun around to see Felix grinning at her, and against her better wishes, her heart did a little flip. _Stop it._ She cleared her throat and tried to smile back as inconspiciously as possible. "Hey, Felix. What's up with you?"

"Yeah, it's great. Just came over to tell you that Adam, Nate and I are playing soccer. You wanna join in?"

Even after all the years, being included in things made her feel incredibly lucky. "Sure!" She sped up a bit to match his pace, stiffening slightly when he slung his arm around her shoulders. _It's probably a bro thing._

Nate was a nice guy, immediately greeting her with a "Hello, Jayné" as soon as she and Felix came into sight. Adam simply nodded at them, bouncing the ball on his foot. "Hey."

"So, do we play in two teams or...?"

Adam suddenly threw the ball to her, and she almost didn't catch it from surprise. "Yeah, of course. Who do you want to be with?"

_Felix._ Ugh, she couldn't _say_ that. This was so embarrassing. Couldn't he just choose himself?

Felix, the wonderful guy, saved her from panicking. He gave her a megawatt-smile and said, "She's with me. If that's fine with you." She could only nod, thanking him silently.

Then she kicked the ball to Felix, effectively starting the game. She would consider herself good at soccer, but seeing him speed across the tiny field made her feel suddenly inadequate. Only when Adam came into motion, running towards their goal, did she unfreeze and move to stop his advance.

It was easier in theory. In practice, he kicked the ball between her feet and went on to score. She hung her head, not daring to look at Felix. Would he think she was bad at this?

"Jayné!" She gratefully looked up to see Kira, Zi and Mila walking towards them, an unfamiliar boy trailing behind them.

"Hey, guys. Who's that?"

Mila grinned and slowed down to walk beside him. "This is Mason Lykos. He's a year older, but that's not a problem, right?" Kira rolled her eyes and mouthed, _"Another one of Mila's boy toys."_ It was ridiculous, really. Sometimes Kira made bets on how long they would talk to each other.

Meanwhile, Jayné had liked the same boy for a year now, with no clear sign of returned interest. It was unfair.

\---

There was obvious tension between Mason and Adam, which Kira found absolutely hilarious. The sporty kid disliking the gangster? Wow, never heard _that_ one before. It wasn't very nice, but she almost laughed at the hostility on Adam's face.

Zi broke the silence. "Can we join?"

Nate, much more diplomatic than his best friend, smiled at them. "Of course. You'll have to split up into teams."

She gave Adam a grin, and he stiffened. "Maybe Zi and I can be with Jayné and Felix, and Mila and Mason with you two?" He gritted his teeth, but only said, "Fine."

Mostly, she enjoyed beating him. It was her way of proving herself, wishing someday he'd put her as his equal. Not that she'd ever tell him that. But she really wanted to be as good as him, to show him that... what? That she was a worthy friend? Something like that.

She already had a better attitude, anyway, she noted as he didn't even bother to hide his disgust for Mason. Yeah, he smelled of cigarette smoke, which was both illegal and disgusting, but if Mila wanted him there, Kira would tolerate him for as long as she needed. Her friend had... unconvential interests, but they tried to at least give the guys she brought a chance before dismissing them.

Then Nate kicked the ball into the air, and the match began. Adam rushed toward it, but she passed it to Felix before he had the chance, who tried to score but ultimately hit the goalpost. "Ah, it's good anyway!" Jayné shouted from their goal. Of course she did; it was Felix. All of them except those two knew what had to be up.

She was so preoccupied for a moment, she didn't notice when the ball came towards her until Adam crashed into her in an attempt to get it. "Sorry," he muttered, quickly backing a couple of steps backwards. _Ugh._ It wasn't that big of a deal; why did he act like she was poisonous? They were friends, weren't they?

Huh, they actually hadn't hung out in a while. She would have to fix that, but later. In the current moment, everything that mattered was beating him, and the other team. Refocusing her attention on the ball, she pushed forward, absentmindedly noticing her skin burning slightly. Ah, well. That wasn't important right now.

When Zi scored a few minutes later, she had forgotten it entirely. It was nothing special; it happened all the time. Or did it? Suddenly she was unsure, but there was no time to examine her doubts.

_Not important right now. Really, it isn't._


	18. Empty (Elyse x Felix)

The house was empty. Before, he could be there with _her_ and no one else and it would still feel so much a home, but now... something was missing. _She_ was missing.

He should have known it would happen someday. The monsters of the world never stopped chasing her, and one day they were bound to catch up.

What if they'd turned her faster? What if he'd protected her better? It was hard not to regret, looking backwards in a desperate hope that it hadn't been inevitable. But it was also horrible, knowing that if he'd just done something else, she would be alive, beside him.

Eric peeked out from the corridor. "Dad? Why do you look so sad?"

Felix frowned. "I'm fine, Eric." _No, you're not._ "It's just... a lot right now."

His son nodded, accepting it without further explanation. Then he ran up to him and hugged his arm, tugging on it so that Felix would lift him up in his lap. The four-year-old was light as a feather for his vampire strength. _It didn't save her._

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"When is Mom coming home?"

Felix stiffened immediately, willing away the flashbacks that threatened to overwhelm him. _Too late. Too late. You were too late, and now you don't have another chance._

_Gone._ What if he forgot her? What if one day, he couldn't see her face in his mind anymore? What if Eric couldn't?

The little boy tapped his shoulder, and he was reminded that he still hadn't answered the question. "She isn't coming home, Eric."

"Why? Is she moving away from us?"

"Something like that." Even with his son in his arms, Felix's heart was empty.

_You couldn't save Elyse. She died, alone and scared because you weren't there. What if one day, you can't save him?_


	19. Wolf (Kira x Adam)

When the news dropped, Adam could be heard breaking several surely important things. Nate ran after him, trying to limit the destruction, but he wasn't very successful.

The Agency had concluded that for her next longterm mission, she was better accompanied by Unit Alpha than Unit Bravo, despite her pretty much being a member of the latter. Kira herself found it insanely funny, but the crashes coming from the living room made her wince. Nate was a chill guy, and it was unnecessary of Adam to take out his frustrations this way.

It _was_ hilarious, though. He would say stuff like "yes, colleague, that's what you are, Detective, nothing except the job matters" and all that jazz, and then he turned around and threw a fit as soon as she got paired with his rivals. _Subtle._

Felix was torn between laughing with her and moping about the fact that he wouldn't see her for a month. Mason didn't voice any such feelings, but she liked to think that he would miss her too.

The day that she would leave approached, and soon she was packing her things in her room. She had just zipped up her suitcase when Adam walked in through the door, giving her a stiff nod. "Detective."

She rolled her eyes. "Commanding Agent. _Adam._ There's no need to be so formal."

He frowned. "It's better that way. Easier." Somehow, she didn't think he'd meant for her to hear the words, mumbled under his breath.

"Right. Anyway... I'm kinda trying to get ready here."

"Yes." He hesitated, not meeting her eyes. "I just wanted to say...." he trailed off and she suppressed a frustrated sigh.

"Yeah?" _Please, tell me what I hope you will._ Her hopes were, predictably, crushed.

"I... take care of yourself, Kira." It wasn't exactly what she was looking for, but her name in his voice made her smile. Maybe they were finally getting somewhere. _Probably not. Getting all excited over him using your literal name? That's just pathetic._

Her smile disappeared, and she tried to seem more indifferent than she felt. "I can't promise anything. But I'll try." He nodded, and then left as if nothing happened.

_He'll come around someday. Right?_ She straightened and headed out towards the entrance to the warehouse, suitcase rolling behind her.

Somehow, Unit Alpha had gotten a car with an extra high roof and lots of leg room that Tane leaned against the side of. "Hey, Kira. Looking forward to hanging out with us?" His tone made it clear what he was talking about, and though she wasn't really interested in him (how could she, when--) she decided to play along.

"I'm sure we'll get to know each other... intimately." The words were almost lazy, casual. But Tane frowned slightly and looked over her shoulder. She didn't bother checking; it had to be Adam. _Well, guess what? You can't both deny your feelings and keep me to yourself._

She inched closer to Tane, reaching out a hand to rest it on the car door just an inch from his body, and murmured, "He doesn't have any claim on me. Ignore him." Low enough for Adam not to hear, but Tane could pick it up.

He raised an eyebrow, but smirked. "If you say so. Then he won't mind if I do this, right?" He slung an arm around her shoulders, and though Adam's glare burned into the back of their heads when they got into the car's backseat together, she smiled.

_Maybe it's time to get over Adam and find someone who will accept loving you. You've pined over him for long enough._

\---

Over the weeks, she and Tane hung out almost every day, and the feelings growing in her chest had to be something more than friendship. She certainly caught him looking at her more than a few times.

One evening, they were sitting on a cliff's edge side by side when Tane suddenly spoke, making her turn towards him. "What have you thought about this mission? It must have been rather different from hanging out with the vampires."

"Yeah, it was. But I've enjoyed it. You are nice company."

His large hand moved to cover hers. "All of us... or just me?" He leaned closer to her and she drew in a breath from surprise. But with a few inches between them, he stopped and gazed into her eyes. "Do you still yearn for him? Do you wish it was him in this moment?"

"What?" Why did he bring that up _now?_

He frowned. "Just answer the question, please. Do you still think about Adam, right now?"

Her heart sank. "I'm sorry, I just--"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "It's fine. I knew from the start I could never compete with the man you love, however stubborn and idiotic he might be." She giggled, the tense moment lightening.

She wasn't particularly disappointed that he didn't kiss her; it was almost a relief. Try as she might, Tane was more like a good friend to her at this point. But still... "I wish you were the one I loved, though. You wouldn't push me away so much."

He laughed. "Tell me if he hurts you again, and I'll beat him up for you."

"Violence is bad."

"You literally shot him the first time you met."

"He deserved it."

"I'm sure he did." The grin he gave her was wholly friendly, without awkwardness.


	20. Fear (Zinnia x Nate)

She never truly settled, he noted. In a crowded room, she was the one standing against a wall, keeping lookout in every direction. Even when she was alone with him, her body was coiled to spring any second. She wasn't afraid of them; at least she said that she wasn't, so it couldn't have been that. What was it, that made her keep her guard up at every moment?

They were sitting in the study when he noticed yet again how she didn't _quite_ sit down. He was silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase it. Then he gently touched her arm, making her jump and furthering his frown. "Is there any reason in particular you're so on edge?"

"Oh, um, no, not really. I'm always like this."

"That's what I mean. Has something happened?"

She sighed. "Not really... unless you consider my entire life, I guess."

He reached out with his other hand to lift her chin. "You don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable. Some things are hard to talk about."

She seemed to ponder that for a moment, and then nodded. "I want to. But you're not going to like it."

"If it is the truth, I will accept it." _Why will you not like it? Is she-- shit, is she afraid of you? Has she changed her mind on that, truly?_ If she had, he would respect it, no matter how much it hurt.

"I... ugh. I'm scared." _No._ "I'm scared, because I don't know how long this will last." _Oh._ "This is too good. Too perfect. It can't last forever." It sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as him.

"Why can't it?"

"Because _everyone leaves me!"_ desperation making her voice strangle. "It's always been that way. There's no point in getting comfortable, because it will all just fall apart anyway."

"Zinnia... I won't leave you. I promise."

"You'll break it. It's okay, I understand. It's not easy to deal with me." Her tone was eerily calm, not betraying any emotion other than resignation. Who had hurt her so much that she could state this as normal?

"Is that why you won't... make it official? Because you think I will leave you? Don't you know me well enough to see that I would never do that?"

She scoffed. "I thought I knew my former boyfriends, my so called best friends, my _family..._ guess what? They all left me in the end, so I'm _sorry_ if I don't trust as easily anymore."

He tried to keep his voice calm, even as the whole situation made him want to scream. "What can I do to show you that you don't need to worry about that?"

She bit her lip. "I'm not sure. I don't know. Maybe there's something wrong with me--"

"Zinnia. There is nothing, absolutely _nothing_ wrong with you. If anything, there's something wrong with the people who hurt you. Don't blame yourself for that."

"How can I not? These people didn't have anything in common with each other. I must have done something to make them leave." Her eyes shone, and she roughly dragged her sleeves over them.

"You could never do anything to make _me_ leave, Zinnia. I will stay by your side."

She leaned closer to him, hesitantly lacing her fingers through his. "Can you really know that? I'm annoying, shut-off, boring..."

"You're the kindest person I've ever met. Don't listen to people who only seek to get you down."

After a second, she squeezed his hand and he smiled.


	21. Trust (Cherie x Mason)

She'd known it was a bad decision, but something made her do it anyway. Maybe it was that Mason told her not to. Maybe because Adam said she couldn't do it. She'd never liked complying with expetations she didn't like.

Either way, she was now lying in a hospital bed at the Agency, thoroughly regretting her decision. Everything hurt and she had a nasty headache pounding in her ears.

When Mason came into the room with a _furious_ expression, she knew it would only get worse. "What," he growled, "were you _thinking?"_

She threw her hands up in mock defense, wincing at the pain that shot through her arm. "I saved you guys. Don't you think that deserves some praise, rather than you yelling at me?"

"You could have _died!_ Why aren't you taking this seriously?" Wow, was that concern in his voice? _Don't_ _let that affect you. Listen to what he says._

"Maybe I could have. Maybe _you_ could have, if I hadn't done what I did."

He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "We weren't in any such danger. Your decision to, what, try to _sneak up on_ freaking _vampires_ who can _hear your heartbeat_ was completely unnecessary and, quite honestly, idiotic. We all told you it wouldn't work!"

She met his glare head on, refusing to back down even though she could feel tears starting to burn in the corners of her eyes. "It would have worked if you hadn't gone after me! Why didn't you trust me?"

He flinched. "You can't honestly have been expecting me to stay where I was when you do stuff like that. It has nothing to do with trust, I _knew_ you couldn't make it."

"Why do you even care? I'll heal, all my _parts_ are fine, you can go ahead and keep lusting after me. What's your problem?"

He stared at her with disbelief. "It's not about that."

"Mason, when is it _not_ about that? Isn't that just about everything you care about?"

He looked away from her. "Not anymore." And those two words almost made her fall off the bed. Said with such nonchalance - did he really mean them?

She could feel her shield start to slip, and reinforced it with the only thing she could think of - anger. "Finally figured out people matter more than just existing to sleep with? Wow, cool. Do you want a prize or something for having basic decency?"

His eyes narrowed. "You're not exactly making this easy, you know. Can't you just try to understand my viewpoint?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "Good one. Tell me, when have you _ever_ tried to understand mine?" She wasn't talking about the mission anymore, and they both knew that.

He sat down in a chair, silent for a moment. "That's complicated."

"Oh, really? I thought it was rather clear-cut for you. Sleep and go. Is it complicated, just because I won't do whatever you want?"

"Do you always have to be like this? Always on guard. I think you forget I can read your feelings."

She glared at him, but it was harder than expected to keep her composure. "I think there's something wrong with your senses, because all I'm feeling right now is annoyance." _Lie._ He couldn't really feel everything, could he?

"Sweetheart. I'm the interrogations expert, remember."

"Well, maybe I don't want to talk to you!" she snapped. "You don't listen anyway." Her eyes were getting wet, and trying to blink it away did nothing.

He frowned. "Are you crying?"

"No!" _Lie, again._

"Yes, you are." He stared confusedly at her, looking very lost.

"Leave me alone!" _You really, really shouldn't cry on him like this. He doesn't deserve it._ But the concern in his voice, little as it was still made her want to tell him. _No. Stop it. You made a promise, and you're going to keep it. No weakness if he doesn't get his shit together._ "Leave me _alone"_ she repeated.

"I'm coming back." His brow furrowed, but he stood up and turned away.

" _Fine." Get your shit together. He doesn't deserve this._

Her incessant, _stupid_ tear canals didn't listen.


	22. Window (Lissia x Mason)

"Mason!" He didn't respond. "Hey, Mason!" When he still wouldn't acknowledge her, she ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

He swung around with a growl. "What do you want?"

Confused, she dropped her hand to her side. "Nate forgot to inform you about the progress of the mission yesterday. It's--"

"Shit." The single word was muttered and his gaze focused fully on her. "Who are you?"

_Who are you?_ "Mason?" She took a step back. "Is that really you?"

He grabbed her arm and held it in a hard grip. "Who are you? How have you gotten our information?"

She cried out and tried to wrench away from his hold, but it held fast. "Ow! Mason, you're hurting me!"

He only tightened his grip, leaving her feeling like he was crushing her bones with his vampire strength. _He probably could._ "Answer me!"

"Mason, you know me! It's me, Lissia! What has gotten into you?" she pleaded, desperate. He had never acted like this before. Was he under a spell?

"I don't know anything about you, just that you know things you shouldn't." He looked her up and down. "You're not a supernatural." After a moment's pause, he took out his phone with the other hand and punched in a number. "Adam, we've got a security breach. Should I bring her in? Alright." His grip on her arm somehow got even harder. "You're coming with me."

"Is that code for something? Have we been discovered?" He didn't deign to reply, just shoved his free hand over her mouth as they made their way to his car. What was _wrong_ with him today?

\---

She didn't try to speak to him in the car. It was apparent that something was missing. Had his memories gone blank again? At least Adam and the others could convince him of the truth that they knew her, but... what about what they had? When they'd finally gotten somewhere, was it all just going to disappear? It wasn't fair.

He pushed her into a cold room where Adam was pacing, and their gazes locked. Finally. She rushed forward, trying to hide behind him, but he took a firm grip on her arms. "Adam! I don't know what happened to Mason, but he doesn't remember me! Do you know any way to fix this?"

He frowned at her. "Why are you talking as if we know each other? Mason brought you here because you have knowledge that only should be available to certain people, which does not include you. I have no idea who you are."

She held back a sob, trying desperately to come up with some possible logical explanation for all of this. "I'm Rebecca's daughter! Agent Eleni, your handler."

He stared blankly at her. "Agent Eleni doesn't have a daughter. Whatever you're trying to fool us into believing, it isn't working. Just confess what you know and why, and everything will be fine."

"I know everything because I am a part of your team! Unit Bravo. I joined you because of my special blood. Please, don't you remember?"

Adam just sighed. "I think we'll have to bring in Agent Eleni to decide what we should do with her."

_Please, let Mom believe me. She'll tell them the truth._

\---

It took an hour for Rebecca to arrive, but the vampires weren't much for conversation with her in the meantime, _anymore._ Finally, the door to the tiny room they were sitting in opened. She could swear she'd never been so happy to see her mom.

"Lissia! What are you doing here?" Rebecca cast worried glances all around the room before settling.

Adam's jaw hung open. "Ma'am, is she truly your daughter?"

"Yes." And that simple fact, the reassurance that not everybody had forgotten her, almost made her cry. _It will be alright._ But then she continued, and Lissia could feel her heart sinking through her shoes. "What are you doing here? You got the job in Wayhaven to get _away_ from... does she know?"

Mason touched her shoulder, a lot gentler now that he knew she wasn't just some random person. "Do you?"

She swallowed. "Yes, I know everything. Supernaturals exist, you guys are vampires, supernaturals want my blood to make themselves stronger, all that jazz."

Rebecca blinked a few times. "What? Your blood doesn't make supernaturals stronger, it makes you immune against their psychic abilities such as pheromones. Where have you heard this?"

Through her panic, an idea made its way to her mind. "Mom. What date is it?"

"14th May. Do you have an important event coming up or something?" _Okay, so it's not time travel. It_ has _to be a spell, right?_

"Where are Nate and Felix? Can you bring them here?"

Rebecca stared at her confusedly. "How do you know the names of my team? Agent Mason told me you addressed both him and Commanding Agent Adam informally when you first met."

"Because it's _not_ our first meeting! You let me become a member of your team after the showdown with Murphy. I think you're under a spell that won't let you remember."

Her mom gasped. "You met Murphy? But how... are you okay?" She took a step forward, but Lissia stopped her with a forced smile.

"I'm fine now. It was almost half a year ago." Desperate to make Rebecca believe her, she reached for another way. "Do you remember what you did yesterday? Last week?"

Her brow furrowed as she tried to think back. "No," she concluded, "it's all foggy." Turning to Adam and Mason, she asked, "Do you two remember?"

"It appears not," Adam said after a moment's thought.

"I mean, my memory issues aren't new, but I don't," Mason drawled, looking remarkably bored.

"Then... if we all don't, maybe there's some truth in my daughter's statement. We could be under a spell. Do you know of any supernaturals who have the ability to do this?" The question was directed towards the vampires, who both shook their heads.

"Most of those who cause people to forget can only do it to one at a time, and it usually takes away _all_ memories one has. This doesn't seem to be the case now." Mason nodded his agreement, fingering his crystal absentmindedly.

"Then it must be a species we do not know about."

She found her voice again. "We should call Felix and Nate. Not only might they remember me, Nate has extensive knowledge that most definitely surpasses ours."

"Right. Of course you know that." Rebecca shook her head, looking disoriented. "This is going to take some getting used to."

\---

When Nate and Felix came around, her heart sank further to learn that they didn't remember her either. Nate was very kind and assured her that they would figure it out even though he didn't have the answer in his head, but it was clear that he didn't trust her as much as he had.

Felix gave her a charming greeting, but it was an introduction, still. Like they didn't know each other. There was no high five, no secret handshake. No grin that was reserved just for her. It was as if their friendship had never existed.

Even in the same room as the team, she was on the outside looking through a window. Conversations started and ended on the other side, without her.

But it was nothing compared to Mason. Gone were the touches, the comfort, everything. After they had established the situation, he simply disappeared. He didn't even ask how all this was for her.

It - it reminded her of the time that they first met. Before she loved, before she hoped. He wouldn't even put out his cigarette for her. Was that how it was going to be now? It was impossible to fathom. After everything they had been through, was it all going to be for nothing?

She found herself outside of his door, nervously tapping her foot. Why was she so on edge? This was _Mason._ The guy who saw her and liked it. The guy who kissed her in the rain, telling her that he would never let go of her again. The guy who told her that her loved her in a thousand different ways every day. The guy who was now glaring at her, like she meant nothing.

She rocked back on her heels, meeting his gaze and wishing his eyes would soften like they used to. "Hey."

"What do you want now?"

She tried to smile at him, despite the knives digging into her heart. "There must be _something_ you remember about me." Her words were met by a blank stare. "Mason, we are in _love!_ Please," she cried, "you have to remember."

He scoffed, throwing her a irritated look. "Oh, you're one of _them."_

"What?"

"Let me guess. We had fun, you got attached, you were heartbroken when I left. Look, sweetheart, the terms were on the table when we did it. You gave me full consent." He blew out smoke into her face. "Go away and deal with it."

Yeah, she was crying now. "But we _didn't_ sleep together! I... we were going to, but we never had the chance. You had only just admitted your feelings, and--"

He raised a hand. "I'm gonna stop you right there, sweetheart. You have clearly made up scenarios that don't exist. If you have no connection to me, what are you doing here?" She hated that the nickname still made her flush, even through the utter nonchalance and irritation that colored it now.

"Really? There's nothing left? Can't you just," her voice broke, " _try_ to remember? For me, if nothing else."

He scoffed. "You mean nothing to me. Are you done?"

She was left gasping, feeling as if she'd fallen off the cliff's edge. Tears ran freely down her cheeks, burning trails of utter destruction. She was shattering, broken pieces falling around her as she fought to say something, _anything_ that could make him change his mind.

But she couldn't, could she? To him, there was nothing to save. He didn't understand what they had lost. He didn't seem to care. With a wretched sob, she ran away, far down the corridor until she could lock herself in her room, lying down on the bed with the moment playing a thousand times in her memory.

\---

Of course, the vampires heard her sobs. After several minutes, Felix popped in his head, frowning. "How are you? I heard your fight with Mason."

She dragged her hand over her eyes, which proved to be pretty much useless when there were still new tears shaping. "How do you think? Why are you even here? Haven't you forgotten me too?"

He walked fully into the room and sat down on the bed beside her. "I understand we're supposed to be best friends, no?" She nodded, not trusting her voice. "Then of course I'm here to comfort you. The fact that I don't remember it doesn't mean I shouldn't try to make it real again."

She sniffled. "I wish Mason would see it that way."

"Yeah." Felix appeared lost in thought for a moment. "I get it. Loving him and then having this happen must be hard. But, hey, he would've left anyway. It's his loss."

"No, didn't you hear what I said to him? We loved _each other._ He loved me! He didn't leave," she mumbled, "he never left me. Until now. But it's not his fault."

He let out a laugh, and she winced. What could he possibly find _funny_ in that moment? "Oh, that's a good one. We won't believe everything you say just because you're the one who remembers, you know. Mason, in love... yeah, and I'm a unicorn."

_He doesn't believe you. Nobody does._ Cold gripped her heart. "Felix, I'm serious."

His laughter diminished, but he still looked skeptical. "Look, I'm sorry. But you have to admit that sounds absolutely ridiculous. Mason doesn't love anyone."

_No. Not anymore, apparently._ "He did. I swear, Felix, he did!" His pitying smile gave her everything that she needed to know.

Nobody in the team, nor Rebecca believed her.

_"Mason told you clearly what it would and wouldn't mean," Adam said with a stony expression._

_"You must realise that Mason doesn't do relationships in the way that we others want. I'm sorry," Nate said and patted her shoulder._

_"Agent Mason doesn't have those sorts of connections. I'm sorry that you got hurt, but there's nothing I can do," her mom said with a pitiful frown._

_Please believe me,_ she'd said. But nobody did. Her only hope was a cure, but after they read through almost all the books in Nate's library, there was still nothing. Would there ever be anything? Or was this her reality now?

_I'm sorry._ The word was whispered in her company, placed upon her like a weight. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry._ Never _we'll fix this._ Just _I'm sorry._

After a couple of months, people stopped apologizing.


	23. Decay (Lara x Nate)

Everything changed with time. She just hadn't expected it to happen so drastically.

The warehouse was in a state of decay, overgrown with vines and probably populated by the forest's creatures. They didn't go in to check, simply watched the place they had once called home.

A hand wrapped itself around her waist and she looked up to meet Nate's brown eyes filled with warmth. "Everything all right, love?"

She drew in a shaky breath. "Yeah. Thank you for coming with me though; I'm not sure I could have handled seeing it myself."

"Of course." His long fingers drew soothing circles on her hip, the repeated motion helping bring her back to the here and now. Still, if she closed her eyes, she would see once upon a time when the place was filled with their life.

After a minute, she sighed. "There's not a lot more to see here. On to our next destination?"

He nodded, "Wherever you need to go," and they departed.

The town was still there, but there were different people walking the streets, different buildings. Some were torn down, and some were built anew; some changed on the inside but showed nothing outwardly, some changed exterior but still had the same heart. When she thought about it, it sounded a lot like people.

People are born and they die. It was an unescapable truth. At least, she had thought it was. Until she met Nate and the vampires, and found out it wasn't that way for everyone. Some people lived... forever. Could she call them people? They were supernaturals, not made to live in this world.

She barely noticed where her steps took her until the pavement gave way to grass, and she lifted her gaze. She always came back here, guided by voices of the past that wouldn't let themselves be silenced.

_Tina Poname_

_Douglas Friedman_

_Bobby Marks_

Somehow, she missed even him. Farther down the rows and rows of remembrance she went. At the very end, there were two stones in the earth.

_Rebecca Croft_

_Charlotte Sewell_

Different generations, but beside each other on the final journey. Would she ever meet them again? Maybe she would remain on this earth for far longer than she'd ever dreamed. She spoke softly, "They made their choice. I don't blame them."

Nate tugged her close to him and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I know."

She choked out, "I just - I just wish they hadn't. We watched her grow from a tiny cell to a," her voice caught in her throat, "a cranky grandma who always complained about people speaking too loud."

"Saria and Milo are still out there, in her old home. She lives on in their, and our hearts."

"I know. I wish we could see them. But they don't know about us. Sometimes I feel so alone in this world."

He took her hand in his. "I know it's tough, love, but please remember that as long as you've got me, you'll never be alone."

"Yeah." She blew out a breath. "Yeah, you're right."


	24. Enchanted (Cherie x Mason)

There was something off. He dismissed it by the fact that things had been off ever since he met Cherie. He shouldn't have.

His first clue should have been that she was quiet, alone in the station when he came in. Cherie was _never_ quiet, whether she was talking to someone or singing under her breath. She probably thought he didn't hear her, but he did, and it was... surprisingly nice. The muffled tones was a great distraction from the background noise.

But now, there was nothing at all. She sat at her desk, looking up at him as he came in. (She didn't tap her feet like she used to, but he dismissed that.) "Mason? What are you doing here?"

He frowned and walked up to lean against her desk. "Was walking by and figured I'd check if you were here. You shouldn't be working this late."

She smiled. "Thank you, but I'm fine." _Huh. She wouldn't snap at me? That was a first._ But he supposed that was good.

He took a closer look at her, and noticed dark beneath her eyes. "You're tired, sweetheart. Might want to head out before you collapse."

She responded with a flirty smile somewhat unlike her. "Will you take me home?" What was going _on_ with her tonight? Well, he wasn't complaining.

With a smirk of his own, he leaned over her small frame and whispered in her ear. "If you say so, sweetheart. We should get going before you run out of steam." The suggestion was blatant in his words, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was odd. Did she have an epiphany overnight or something?

Oh well, it didn't matter. _Yes, it does._ He ignored that voice in favor of steadying Cherie as she stood up from her chair and almost immediately teetered. "Yeah, you should _definitely_ get home. You can barely stand on your own." _That's concern._ For a teammate.

Her eyes found his through her exhaustion and she smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad you're here with me." The words spread a warmth throughout his entire body (why?) that almost covered all the cold prickles of worry. Was this really her talking, or just her sleep-deprived state? _Why does it matter?_

They made their way out of the station and into his car. In a gesture that Felix could have called "chivalrous" he opened the passenger side door for her (it wasn't, he just didn't trust her to do it herself without falling over). She didn't even argue when he slid into the driver's seat. _Weird._ At least that made it easier, but the silence was unusual. _Probably because she's tired._

The ride was short, and soon they arrived at her home. She leaned on him as they walked out, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady.

He had to take the keys from her, because her hands shook too much. _Is that a normal consequence of exhaustion?_ Perhaps. The apartment was dark, and felt much bigger with just the two of them.

Despite what he said earlier, he didn't really feel like keeping her awake further. Her movements were groggy and eyes half-closed.

Miraculously, she seemed to disagree. A minute after shrugging off her jacket and shoes, she stood up on her tiptoes (still a lot shorter than him) and leaned in to kiss him. But he put a hand against her shoulder, stopping her and confusing them both. "What's wrong?"

He sighed. "Do you really want this? I thought you wanted it to be _real._ "

She gazed up at him with hopeful eyes. "Of course I do. Isn't this proof enough that I want this - you?" She tried to kiss him again, but he pulled away entirely. _What's gotten into you?_ Something wasn't right. _Why are you resisting when she finally gives you what you want?_

He frowned. "You should get some sleep, and we can discuss this tomorrow. You're not thinking clearly."

But when he turned to leave, a tiny hand grabbed his arm. "Wait! Can't you just stay with me, please? We don't have to... we can just... you know, sleep... together?" Cherie _really_ didn't stutter like that. What in the world was happening?

Suddenly, it all clicked. The cold worry he had, the unfamiliarity... it all made sense. And it left Mason with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Cursed? Enchanted? No, she wanted him to stay for a reason. _Shit._

She was looking at him with hopefulness, waiting for an answer. His most definitely wasn't what she wanted.

"You're possessed."


	25. Filthy (Lara x Nate + Charlotte)

It was a rainy day. Much to Charlotte's dismay, she couldn't play outside with the other kids. No matter how much she begged, the Scott twins refused to step anywhere near the cold downpour, so now she was sitting on the couch, kicking her legs with regular interwals.

" _Mom,_ I'm bored," she whined.

Lara looked up from the book she and Nate were reading with a sigh. "What do you want to do? Do you want to read with us?"

"No, I want to play! Can't you just will the rain away or something?"

She laughed. "Unfortunately, sweetie, I can't do that. Can't you do something fun inside instead?"

The four-year-old chuckled. "Aw, but that would've been such an awesome superpower to have! Are you sure? Have you tried?"

_Why does she have so much energy?_ "Yes, I'm sure. But there's a lot of fun things you can do here too."

"But I want to go outside!" Suddenly her eyes lit up, and Lara sighed. _Oh boy, here we go._ "Can't we go for a walk with Ella? She needs to do that _every_ day, right?"

Nate smiled at their daughter. "Not necessarily _every_ day, but of course we can. Can you put on your rain coat yourself?" She was already gone, racing down the stairs before he'd finished the sentence.

Lara punched his arm. "We'll get wet, and it's your fault."

"She would've started climbing the walls if I hadn't said yes, and you know it." As much as she wanted to, she couldn't argue with that. Besides, Ella was looking at them expectantly (she must have heard him say "walk") and wagging her tail like a whip against the wall.

"Fine. But if she gets a cold, that's on you." With resignation, she moved to trudge down the stairs after him, pausing only to pick up the small dog and put on her leash.

Charlotte sprinted outside as soon as they let her, not bothering to bring an umbrella. "Insane," Lara mumbled. "How can she just take it?" She herself kept close to Nate, making sure to be underneath the one he held over his head. Ella tried to run after the girl, but she held her back.

It was perfectly nice, albeit a bit cold, until they happened upon a fairly deep water pool. "Charlotte... don't--" But it was too late, and Lara could do nothing but back away as her daughter ran right into it, splattering dirty water all over herself. "Charlotte! Look, now you're all filthy. You're taking a shower as soon as we get home."

She just grinned and jumped up and down as Lara sighed. Nate chuckled at the scene.


	26. Past (Zinnia)

The halls were empty, and the girl hurried through them before anyone could interrupt the silence. She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the door that led out to the schoolyard, but it caught in her throat as three faces stared back at her when she opened it. Before she could run back, the tallest of the boys grabbed her arm. "Ow! Let me go!"

He just laughed, and his companions joined into the chorus of horror. "Oh, sweetheart, I don't think I will. Now," he turned to the others, "what should we do with her?"

_Shit, shit, shit._ She curled into herself, still trying to yank her arm from his iron hard grip, but he was half a foot taller than her and much stronger; it didn't matter that she practiced soccer when he was a boy, and she was a girl.

A boy around her height, standing to the left of the apparent leader, spoke up with a scary grin. "It's Friday. No one will be here for a couple of days. I think we can do pretty much whatever we want."

"Oh," the boy that was holding her suddenly dragged her closer by her arm, "whatever we want, you say?" The grin that he gave her was dangerous, and she most definitely didn't want to know what he was talking about. However, she feared she might find out. "I'm feeling rather... adventurous today."

Her voice shook, but she raised it defiantly. "If you don't let me go now, I'll--"

He regarded her with an amused smile and clenched his fingers around her arm a little tighter. "You'll _what,_ sweetheart? Hit me? Go on, give it your best try." He pressed his face closer to her, and in a sudden panic she reeled back and socked him in the jaw.

She didn't really expect it to work, but he was caught off guard and let go of her arm to rub at his skin. Then, he fixed her with a murderous glare. "I will _kill_ you."

She was already running the other way, begging her legs to work faster. But his steps were longer, and suddenly her foot was yanked up from behind her, making her faceplant onto the hard floor. Her cheek stung like shit, and terror spiked through her as his large body pushed her down.

She tried to kick at him, but it was futile. He just chuckled darkly. "It seems like I have you trapped." His friends were probably somewhere behind them, but she didn't hear anything from them. "Not so fun, is it? Let's see if you still like it when you're the one being hit."

He striked her, over and over again. Not hard enough to break bones, but it would leave nasty bruises. Finally, when he was satisfied, he and his buddies locked her in a small, cramped room (she wasn't sure of the intended use) for the weekend.

Luckily, they hadn't taken her phone. Pulling it out with shaking hands, she called a familar number.

Her sister answered immediately. _"Oh, Zi, I'll beat them up for you."_ She never called unless she needed help, and so she didn't even have to say it.

"It wouldn't change anything, Ri. They would just take it out on me later on."

Silence. Then, _"Where are you?"_ It was hard for Rosalie to accept that she couldn't stop the injustices even in her own family, but she wouldn't press it when Zinnia put down her foot.

"Some closet thing, near the north exit."

_"I'll be there in ten minutes."_

And so she didn't have to spend the weekend locked away, but the relief was short-lived. Because when she came back on Monday morning, it was all the same again. She tried to stop fighting back, because it only ended up with her getting hurt.

Her parents didn't let her change schools, because they didn't understand. Truthfully, she didn't either. As a quiet, meek kid, why was it her they went after?

What she couldn't come to terms with was that they didn't _have_ a reason; they didn't need one. Some people did bad things just because they could.


	27. Unkempt (Alyssandra x Mason)

Suddenly the doors were open, and there he was. Mason, his eyes wild and desperate as they met hers. Tears filled her vision. She'd hoped, of course, but - he had actually come to save her. It was - _shit,_ it was everything.

Her voice was cracked, but she managed to breathe, "Mason." He was _here._

But the fight wasn't over, as her captors lunged towards him and - oh, Adam was there too. Could Nate and Felix also be around here, somewhere? _They all came to get you._

If she hadn't been bound to the wall, she would've rushed to join them, but chains cut into her wrists when she tried and stopped her from advancing further. They should be able to handle themselves, right?

Apparently, she didn't need to worry, because the Trappers' clearly hadn't been expecting to be found by any supernatural. Their weapons, _she still shuddered when she saw those sharp edges, knowing how they felt,_ were clearly not intended to work on vampires. Mason and Adam had no trouble taking them down without injury.

And then it was silent, and he was _there_ in front of her. Wet trickled down her face, and she distantly noted that her tears had started falling. He cradled her face in his hands like he was afraid of breaking her. "It's okay, Lysa. I'm here. It'll be all right. They can't hurt you anymore."

He was unusually gentle as he freed her arms from their bonds, letting her bury her face in his shoulder, body shaking with her sobs. "Mason." It was nothing really, just his name, but it held so much more. _Mason, you're here. Mason, thank you. Mason, I love you._

No, not that one. _He will never accept that._ "Mason..." _Don't go getting your heart broken like that again._ "I'm glad you're here," she finished weakly. It was the truth, but at the same time it wasn't. _Don't let him hurt you again._

He tried to chuckle, but it came out raw. "Pretty glad I'm here too, sweetheart." His arms were fast around her, holding her like he was expecting her to disappear if he let go. She didn't mind. _You know that's not the reason. It's most definitely a sex thing, in some random, stupid way._ Keeping her body intact for the future.

But it didn't feel that way, when his body was curled around hers, stroking her back in circles with one hand. _He told you, multiple times. Is he lying to himself?_ Because _that's_ logical, and something he would do. No, he kept his feelings plainly on his sleeve. If he wanted more, he would have said so.

_Wouldn't he?_

\---

Nate and Felix (and Rebecca, somewhat shockingly) showed up, and they made their way to the car that the others arrived in. She couldn't walk easily, _really didn't want to think about why,_ but with Mason's arm around her waist and shoulder to lean on she could hobble forwards in an awkward motion, at least.

The car ride was long, and nobody spoke. Mason still held her casually, the lack of space between their seats certainly not making it better. It was _infuriating,_ how he still got this effect out of her.

Well at the Agency, she was placed in a hospital bed until further notice, as the nurses looked over her injuries. The man still held her hand, standing off to the side with an inscrutable expression. _What is his play with all of this? Would he really go to such lengths just to change your mind?_

Oh, how she wanted to believe it wasn't that. But he had only let her down in the past; how could she know he wouldn't do the same now? Hope could be so destructive when it was misplaced.

At some point she drowsed off, unsure whether from drugs or sheer exhaustion.

\---

When she woke up, his hand still held hers, squeezing it cautiously. He looked tired, but gave her a soft smile, _feelings for once unkempt?_

And in that moment, she didn't care that he was going to leave her later. He was here now, and that was all that mattered.


	28. Vengeful (Kira x Adam, Zinnia, Jayné)

"What happened this time?" She gestured at Kira and Adam sitting at opposite ends of the same sofa.

Nate sighed. "She beat him at pool." Zinnia raised an eyebrow, and he added, "Thrice."

"I swear, these two act like ten-year-olds. Hey, Jayné!" The girl walked over and she gestured at their friends. "Have you _seen_ these idiots? They do this every time they're not evenly matched at something."

She examined them for a moment. "I ship it."

Nate coughed and Zinnia just stared at her friend. " _Jayné!_ You can't just _say_ stuff like that!"

She shrunk, wrapping her arms around herself. "Sorry. Nevermind, then..."

Felix appeared at her side with a grin, patting her shoulder lightly. "So what I take from this is that you only _think_ it, right Zi?"

_Oh boy._ "I mean, yeah. They definitely have chemistry. But I doubt they'd like us talking about that." His grin only grew, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Stop looking at me like that, you dummy. You know you're thinking it too." She noticed Jayné frown slightly from the corner of her eye, but when she tried to catch her gaze she turned away. _Huh. Weird._

Nate just sighed at them. "This really isn't our business, guys. Maybe they're just friends."

They all stood in silence for a minute, watching the boy and girl across from each other. After a couple of seconds, Adam's gaze lingered on Kira while she was looking into her lap.

Felix gave Nate a triumphant smile and stated mockingly, "Yeah, they totally don't like each other."

\---

Kira couldn't help but smirk at the look on Adam's face as she sunk another ball in the corner pocket whilst also knocking his away. "How do you keep doing that?" he demanded.

"Skill, of course," she replied and bounced the 8-ball against a wall to promptly sink it in the correct hole.

He glared at her. "You're cheating. There's no way that angle could've worked."

"Or you're just a sore loser, Mr. 'I am undefeated at pool'. Shame that someone were to mess up your track record, huh?"

He stepped closer, jabbing a finger at her chest. "Must you be so utterly aggravating all the time?"

"Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure that's in the job description." This close to him, she could faintly feel the heat of his body. _Don't get distracted._ "It's also very funny to do."

"Oh, so it's like that." He seemed to think for a moment. "Rematch tomorrow." _From his voice, it sounded more like revenge._

She grinned. "Why not now? Afraid I'll kick your ass again?"

"Hardly. I'm giving you a chance to savor your victory before you get utterly crushed."

"Oh yeah, keep dreaming."

He took another step closer, letting his breath waft over her cheek. "I don't know... you might have trouble concentrating."

Drawing in a sharp breath, she quickly backed away. _Don't let him get under your skin._ "You're so immature."

He sat down beside her, but she moved to another couch, trying not to see what looked suspiciously like hurt in his eyes.


	29. Veil (Jayné x Felix)

"Deep breaths, Jayné. You can do this."

Tina sighed. "Talking to yourself again? Are you really _that_ nervous?"

She spun around to look at her friend. "Yes! Do you realise how big of a deal this is? Ugh, I'm going to have a panic attack in front of everyone."

Tina shrugged. "If you're uncomfortable, I'm sure Felix would understand."

"No, I want to do this! It's just... what if I mess it up, trip on my dress, say the wrong words, whatever?" _Don't panic._ "What if people laugh at me?" She picked at her long, flowing white dress with a shaking hand. "Look at this! It's ridiculous!"

Tina took a step forward and gently pried the cloth from her hand. "You're beautiful. But I'm not the one you want to hear it from, I suspect." Jayné managed a nod. "So, go out there and show him how incredibly lucky he is!"

She smiled. "I am the lucky one."

Tina rolled her eyes. "Spare that lovey-dovey stuff until after the wedding, please. But I'm glad you're happy with your choice."

She gave her friend a wam smile. "Thank you, Tina. I'm glad you're here with me."

"Who else would've been your maid of honor? But I do believe there's someone waiting for you out there, so..."

She chuckled and turned towards the door. "Yeah. I suppose there is."

\---

Felix shifted on the altar, trying not to check the clock every second. Were they late, or was he just so incredibly excited that every minute felt like an hour? Mason sighed from beside him, fiddling irritatedly with his tie. "Relax, man. She'll come when she's ready."

He eyed his best man curiously. "Do you know something that I don't?"

Mason shook his head. "I'm sure you could see it, too. But she'll come. I bet her maid of honor is holding her up trying to make the perfect hairstyle or something."

Felix chuckled. "That does sound like Tina." The priest hushed them with an apologetic smile, and he mumbled a "sorry".

Suddenly the music started playing, and Felix could think of nothing else than the woman walking down the aisle towards him. She was so beautiful, in a white shimmering dress and hair halfway up. But more than that, it was the radiant smile on her face as she looked at him that had him grinning like an idiot.

_She chose me._ The thought still made him giddy; it always would, and he saw no problem with that. She chose him, and he chose her.

It felt like an eternity before she settled in the altar, facing him with a surprisingly hesitant smile. He whispered, "I snagged the most beautiful woman here, clearly." Her uncertainity turned into a blush, and he counted that as a victory. "We're still on for this? Just so you're not uncomfortable, you know." He knew she'd struggled with public affairs before.

But she shook her head, almost imperceptibly to the people watching, but clear as day to his enhanced vision. "No, it's fine now. Besides, I would brave any fear to be with you."

He gave her a teasing smile. "Even spiders?"

"Don't push it." She shuddered slightly, but smiled at him. "But I can promise you that I will never, ever regret marrying you."

The priest cleared his throat and started talking, but Felix soon zoned out, distracted by the amber eyes staring into his. It wasn't until the vows that he remembered their surroundings.

"Felix Hauville, do you take Jayné Allycer as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

He grinned at her. "I do."

"And Jayné Allycer, do you take Felix Hauville as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

She gave him a brilliant smile, overflowing with happiness. "I do."

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of God. You may kiss the bride."

As he swept her up into his arms, he knew for certain that he'd never been happier.


	30. Night (Cherie x Mason)

"What?" She stared at him, and he sighed. Of course she would be shocked - it was quite the accusation. But how else could he explain it?

The fact though, that her wanting him was something off; it wasn't very nice to think about. He tried and failed to block that out. _You don't know for sure. What if she is finally letting out her feelings? That she would, in fact, be okay with what you've suggested._

But there was more than that. _His_ Cherie, _you have no right to call her that,_ wasn't there; he could feel it. Her presence was gone, or pushed down. And he knew there existed supernaturals who did stuff like that. _Shouldn't her blood protect her from that, though? It's a psychic ability._

_Maybe she just wants you. Would that be such a bad thing?_

She raised an eyebrow, and he realised he had been silent for a while. "You're possessed." _You have to be._ "I don't know how it's possible, but you are. This isn't you."

But she started crying, and he fought hard to hold on to what had to be the truth. "Mason, please... I'm sorry that I haven't been honest with you before, but you have to believe me. I'm not lying." _Shit, she sounds earnest. But she can't be._

_Of course the supernatural would do everything to sell the lie, when fearing discovery. You've been through stuff like this before._ But they didn't usually strike a nerve in the way that this one did. Somehow, it knew everything he wanted but couldn't have.

He growled. "What's your plan coming here? Seduce me to sleep and then kill me? You must be desperate, if you thought that would work."

She held up her hands. "What are you talking about? I don't understand." Oh, she's good. _Is she really lying?_

He stared at her, trying not to let any emotion out. "Start talking or I will knock you out." His fists were shaking, but he hoped that wasn't visible.

Thankfully, she didn't put up more of a fight, deflating with a sigh. "Okay, you're right. I'm not your woman."

"Cherie. She has a name." _She's also not my woman._ He was glad that the supernatural had chosen the easy way; he wasn't sure if he could've gone through with his threat otherwise. Not when there was still that tiny risk that it was actually her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not _Cherie._ Happy?" _Hardly. What has she done with her?_

"So, let's take this from the beginning, since _that's_ established. What are you doing here?"

She gave him a stony glare. "I'm not telling you that." When he took a step closer, she added, "Any harm you cause me will also affect her. I don't think you want that, do you?" His face betrayed nothing, but his silence was enough for her. "So it would seem we're at an impasse."

He resisted the urge to growl in frustration. "What do you want?"

She smirked. "Oh, so you understand now. Well, I'll lay it out simple for you. I want Agent Young, your handler. Give her to us, and I'll let this... _Cherie_ go. Don't, and maybe you'll find out just how complete my control over her is."

This time, he didn't bother hiding his anger. "Don't you _dare_ hurt her. I'll restrain you myself if I have to."

The supernatural just laughed. "Oh, and what do you plan to do if I attack you? Face it, your only options are letting her get hurt or giving me what I want."

_Forgive me, Cherie._ "Perhaps. But I can do it on my own terms." _It's the only way,_ he desperately chanted in his head as he pressed his arm against her throat. He had practiced this move a thousand times before, when an enemy had to be neutralised, but it had never felt so _violent_ as it did now.

Then the supernatural cackled, and there was a sudden spark in her eyes. _Cherie's_ eyes. He tried to loosen the pressure, but it was already too late. With terror in the eyes that stared at him, the woman (not the supernatural anymore, the _woman, Cherie)_ went unconscious, breathing ragged but wholly hers. The moon on the night sky shone through the window, casting a cruel light on the situation.

_What have I done?_


	31. Halloween (Cherie x Mason + Alice and Anastasia)

"Mom, Dad, hurry up! Elliot and Anton are leaving in fifteen minutes!" Anastasia shouted from the hallway.

Cherie chuckled and turned to Mason. "They sure are good friends with the Scott kids, huh? I'm glad; Maaka is a cool guy."

He raised an eyebrow. "Adam would disagree."

"Adam is an idiot."

He rolled his eyes, but chuckled. "Yeah. Haven't you finished that now, anyway? They're waiting for us."

She smirked at him. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were actually excited for this." Reluctantly, she let go of the present and put it in a drawer. "I'm just trying to get ready for their birthday tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah. Now let's go before they throw a tantrum."

Anastasia was just eight years old, but by the way she berated them every time something didn't go as she wanted, she sure seemed to believe she was much older. They were lucky that her twin sister, Alice, wasn't like that.

The girls were fully decked out in Halloween clothes, Anastasia as a vampire (the irony) and Alice as a witch. The younger twin gave them a disappointed look when her parents appeared in the hallway. "Why aren't you guys dressed up?"

Mason scoffed. "Look, sweetie, it's a miracle that I'm even--"

Cherie quickly interrupted him before he could say anything else. "There's not a lot of outfits for adults, but I'm sure yours are cool enough for our entire entourage." Alice seemed to accept it, albeit a bit begrudgingly, and skipped on out through the door after Anastasia. The Scott twins were probably waiting outside.

Mason stepped closer to murmur in her ear as they walked out the door, "I would've loved to see you in one of these adult outfits, sweetheart." There was no uncertainity in what he was referring to, and she swatted his arm with a glare.

"Not in front of the kids, you menace!"

He just shrugged. "Pretty sure they didn't hear it." She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

\---

Elliot and Anton were both dressed up as werewolves, which Maaka must've found immensely funny judging by the grin on his face. "Hey! Glad you finally came, these guys have absolutely no patience at all."

Alice and Anastasia ran up to them immediately, exchanging some sort of secret handshake with the boys. They all appeared very interested in the others' outfits, Anastasia going so far as to touch Elliot's fake fur ears curiously.

Of course, Mason just _had_ to disturb their fun. "Are we just gonna stand around here, or did you want to go trick-or-treating?" She threw him a glare, but he ignored it.

Alice wasn't as subtle with her disapproval. "Oh c'mon, Dad! We're just catching up!"

He was about to snap back, so Cherie jumped in to save the peace. "Five more minutes, sweetie, but then we really do have to get going." Mason grumbled, but didn't object.

She couldn't help but examine the scene in the meantime, chuckling at the difference between Maaka's enraptured smile as he gazed over the children and her husband's glare at anything and everything (except her and their daughters, which she didn't fail to notice).

This was family. _Home._


End file.
